Former NASCAR driver and current analyst Kyle Petty shared his unequivocal support for NASCAR’s decision to penalize Christopher Bell for driving into the wall on the final lap of the race at Martinsville Speedway.

The penalty resulted in Bell being ejected from the playoffs, clearing the way for William Byron to compete in the prestigious Championship 4 race in Phoenix.

Petty posted on social media following the race:

“@NASCAR ASKED! @WiliamByron in Phoenix to compete for the championship!”

Christopher Bell’s elimination from Championship 4 came after a contested last-lap approach at the Martinsville race, where Bell pulled off a move deemed against regulations. As a result, NASCAR penalized him, moving William Byron to the bottom of the Championship 4. The final race will now see Byron compete alongside elite contenders Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick for the coveted championship title.

Kyle Petty, who brings decades of experience to NASCAR, justified the decision despite criticism from some. He wrote:

“I’m not arguing tonight because I don’t feel like dealing with some of you honestly. First of all, there is no rule against blocking, and the producers have been working together for years! (See Daytona and Talladega) The second wall is against the rules, that’s a fact.

Commenting on his elimination from Championship 4, Bell explained to the press:

“I don’t know what to say. I don’t know. I don’t know what to say.

“I understand the rule is made to prevent people from traveling the wall. But my movement was completely different from what Ross was. I got loose going into the corner and slid right into the fence.

“I don’t know what else to say.”

NASCAR vice president Elton Sawyer explained to the media why there was a 30-minute delay before the penalty was confirmed. he commented:

“We want to do things right, first and foremost. This is not something that happens every week. We want to be ready. I thought our tower team did exactly what we needed to do. Let’s do it right.”

NASCAR Cup Series: Xfinity 500 Race Results at Martinsville Speedway

1. Ryan Blaney
2. Chase Elliott
3. Kyle Larson
4. Austin Cindric
5. Denny Hamlin
6. William Byron
7. Austin Dillon
8. Ross Chastain
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Joey Logano
11. Noah Gragson
12. Shane Van Gisbergen
13. Alex Bowman
14. Ryan Preece
15. Chase Briscoe
16. Josh Berry
17. Daniel Hemric
18. Bubba Wallace
19. Eric Jones
20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
21. Zane Smith
22. Christopher Bell
23. Daniel Suarez
24. Martin Truex Jr
25. Carson Hocevar
26. Todd Gilliland
27. Kaz Grala
28. Kyle Busch
29. Justin Haley
30. Chris Buescher
31. John H. Nemechek
32. Ty Gibbs
33. Michael McDowell
34. Tyler Reddick
35. Corey LaJoie
36. Harrison Burton
37. Josh Bilicki