The incident involved NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
national champions Lee Pulliam, Philip Morris and Morris crew chief Forrest
Reynolds following an incident racing for the lead with five laps left to go during
the second of two twin 75-lap Late Model Stock features.
Morris’ No. 01 spun off the nose of Pulliam’s No. 5 and into
the wall.
During the resulting red flag, Reynolds hopped over the
wall, ran onto the track, spiked his radio onto Pulliam’s windshield and
reached into the passenger seat with the intent to seemingly pull the ignition
wires.
Pulliam then jumped on the throttle and drove a couple of feet to get away, the sudden jolt of horsepower sending Reynolds tumbling across the racing surface.
In violation of Section 12-1 of the NASCAR rule book:
Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Behavioral; 12-6.1 Member Conduct,
C.2. Member-to-Member confrontation(s) with physical violence and other violent
manifestations such as significant threat(s), abuse and/or endangerment, driver
Lee Pulliam has been fined $1,500 and has
been issued a suspension until April 17, 2019. If fine is not paid, the NASCAR suspension will
continue. Probation until December 31, 2019.
It’s worth noting that South Boston’s Late Model Stock season does not resume until April 20, meaning that Pulliam will not miss any time at that track unless he fails to pay the fine.
In violation of Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock
car racing. 9-4 Driver Responsibilities B. At all Events, the driver assumes
responsibility for the following: 1. Actions of his/her car owner and team
members, and may be subject to disciplinary action as a result, driver Philip Morris has been fined $1,000 and is
suspended until that fine has been paid. Probation until December 31, 2019
Meanwhile, crew chief Forrest Reynolds does not have a NASCAR license and was not subject to penalties from the sanctioning body. However, NASCAR has mandated that any attempt by Reynolds to participate in a NASCAR Event as a crew member of Philip Morris’ team will result in further penalties levied against Morris.
Further, Reynolds will not be able to apply for a NASCAR
license until the 2020 season at the earliest. In addition to his duties as
crew chief for the Morris No. 01 car, Reynolds also operates Reynolds Racing
Chassis that provides services to several teams in the Carolinas and Virginias,
There has been some speculation that Reynolds was attempting
to physically harm Pulliam but was blocked by the car driven by Austin Thaxton.
In an interview with Race22.com on Tuesday, Reynolds apologized for his actions
but insisted he had no intent to physically harm Pulliam.
“I lost my temper and I should have never gone over the track but I did,” Reynolds told RACE22.com. “I threw my radio and went over there to pull the ignition wires like I saw Peyton (Sellers) do a couple of years ago. He took off and I rolled down the hill but I definitely did not try to stab him. I don’t even know where all that stuff came from.”
He also said that he didn’t even have a wrench in his hands
like some have claimed.
“I’m sure we can have the video enhanced to make sure
that people realize that all I had was my radio and my headset in my
hand,” Reynolds said. “I’d like to see the allen wrench or any
puncture wounds if that’s the case but I’m standing flatfoot on the ground and
just reaching for his wires. I don’t know it just seems really fabricated.”
Reynolds says he has been in contact with his lawyer concerning his options.
Matt Weaver is the owner and founder of Short Track Scene. Weaver grew up in the sport, having raced himself before becoming a reporter in college at the University of South Alabama. He also has extensive experience covering NASCAR, IndyCar and Dirt Sprint Cars.
1 Comment
1 Comment
James
April 4, 2019 at 7:10 pm
One can only shake one’s head and laugh at the thinking problem in Daytona.
James
April 4, 2019 at 7:10 pm
One can only shake one’s head and laugh at the thinking problem in Daytona.