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NASCAR made the right choice by penalizing Sammy Smith after Martinsville debacle
NASCAR heeded the calls of fans and drivers on Tuesday afternoon by penalizing Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith following the chaotic conclusion of Saturday's Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
On the final lap of Saturday's race, Smith sent his No. 8 Chevrolet deep into turn 3, making contact with race leader Taylor Gray and taking both himself and Gray out of contention.
With Smith clearly not making an attempt to make the corner, fans and industry personalities called for Smith to be penalized for his actions. NASCAR obliged.
A replay of the #NASCAROvertime finish at @MartinsvilleSwy. pic.twitter.com/fGJecynkQT
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) March 29, 2025
On Tuesday, it was reported that Smith will lose 50 driver points and be fined $25,000 for his last-lap move at Martinsville. With the penalty, Smith goes from sixth in the Xfinity Series standings to 13th, and ironically, is now one point behind Gray. JR Motorsports will not appeal the penalty.
JR Motorsports will not appeal the penalty to Sammy Smith. https://t.co/bgNt2aKLHm
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 1, 2025
NASCAR should be applauded for making the call, as the sanctioning body has, in recent years, attempted to adopt a self-policing and "boys have at it" strategy to penalties related to on-track incidents. Just like in the case of Austin Dillon a year ago, however, NASCAR made sure to make a point: a move such as Smith's is inexcusable and will result in a harsh penalty.
There are still steps to be taken in order to improve the driving etiquette that was seen throughout the Xfinity Series field on Saturday, but handing down a harsh penalty to the most egregious offender was a good move as NASCAR seeks to put Saturday's debacle of a race in the rearview mirror.
More must-reads:
- JR Motorsports decides on appeal of Sammy Smith's Martinsville penalty
- After Xfinity Series' Martinsville disaster, NASCAR must step in
- The 'NFL mascot names' quiz
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Lady luck finally smiled on William Byron at Iowa Speedway
It almost seemed as if William Byron used up all of his good fortune for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season on the final lap of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 16, where a massive crash on the final lap parted the sea for his No. 24 Chevrolet to squeak through and claim a second-consecutive win in NASCAR's most prestigious race. Since his season-opening victory, Byron and the No. 24 team hadn't been able to get back into the win column. Victory didn't find Byron at Darlington on April 6, when he led the first 243 laps of the race. It didn't find him in the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25, when he led 283 laps but finished second to Ross Chastain, nor did it find him at Michigan on June 8 when he led 98 laps but ran out of fuel in the closing laps. Despite one of the best drivers in the field driving one of the fastest cars in the field, victory lane continued to elude the No. 24 team. That was until Sunday, when Byron saved enough gas to score his second win of 2025 in the Iowa Corn 350 and retake the Cup Series points lead. Byron was forced to save as hard as he possibly could in the closing laps, while Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney pedaled as hard they could in an attempt to catch up to the two-time Daytona 500 champion. But neither Byron's lead or his fuel pressure wavered in the waning moments of Sunday's race. After finishing outside of the top 10 in six of the last eight races, the win is a much-needed shot in the arm for Byron as the Cup Series playoffs loom. "I feel like we really needed to win a race," Byron said in his post-race news conference on Sunday evening. "I feel like we deserved to win a race based on how we've run all year. It just wasn't happening. We had to figure out how to do everything right, and things still were not really working out in our favor. "This is just a big relief to have one go our way." As Byron chases a third consecutive Championship 4 appearance and his first Cup Series title, he'll do so free of the monkey that has been on his back ever since the confetti rained down on him in Daytona Beach in February. "The win was big for us," said Rudy Fugle, Byron's crew chief. "Since Michigan, we've had really fast cars still, haven't gotten many good finishes. This year, I don't know that there's a ton wrong other than circumstance. The win is huge to solidify everything that Hendrick (Motorsports) is doing."
Three potential landing spots for disgruntled Bills RB James Cook
Superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys aren't the only ones involved in a contract dispute. Buffalo Bills star running back James Cook is seeking a pay raise as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract. When asked Sunday why he wasn't practicing, Cook responded: "Business." ESPN insider Adam Schefter noted on Monday the hold-in by Cook, the 2022 second-round pick (63rd overall) who is unhappy with his contract situation. For now, Cook's future with the Bills is in question, so let's look at three teams that should be lighting up general manager Brandon Beane's phone in an attempt to pry him from Buffalo. Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles must continue to add weapons around second-year QB Caleb Williams. Per NFL.com, Chicago ranked 25th in the league in rushing yards (102 per game) and 29th in yards per carry (four) last season, which is not good enough to support a young QB. RB D'Andre Swift (253 carries, 959 yards rushing, 3.8 yards per carry) is a solid option but was inefficient last season in the workhorse role. Cook, who rushed for 1,009 yards last season (4.9 per carry), is an efficient runner who could balance this offense. Chicago has the draft capital and salary-cap space (roughly $13M, per Over The Cap) to get a deal done, particularly if it were to send Swift back the other way. Arizona Cardinals Their offense could reach new heights with a dynamic running back like Cook. James Conner, who rushed for a career-high 1,094 yards last season, has been a solid lead runner in Arizona over the past four years, but the 30-year-old could use help. Conner is a power back. Speedster Cook would bring a different style and create an explosive one-two punch with QB Kyler Murray. Per Over The Cap, Arizona has roughly $35M in cap space and all its own draft picks to get a deal done. It's a move it must consider to compete in the loaded NFC West. Minnesota Vikings What better way is there to aid rookie QB J.J. McCarthy than by trading for a high-end running back? Minnesota has perhaps the best receiving groups in the NFL, so improving the run game could make this offense unstoppable. Running back Aaron Jones will turn 31 on Dec. 2, so Cook — who will turn 26 on Sept. 25 — would be an upgrade. Free-agent RB Dalvin Cook, who has a similar running style to James, his brother, rushed for 1,173 yards with the Vikings in 2022. The Vikings have draft picks to make a solid offer, and while their cap space will get tight in 2026, they can find ways to wiggle their way around it. Perhaps Buffalo would be interested in Jones being a part of the deal to help its backfield in the short term.
Saints quarterback has 'convincing lead' in training camp battle
The New Orleans Saints' three-way quarterback competition is narrowing before the team's first preseason contest against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Per Ross Jackson of Louisiana Sports, second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler has looked the best at training camp this summer, going 83-of-114 passing (72.8 percent) for eight touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and four interceptions. Rattler is beating out rookie Tyler Shough. The second-round pick has completed just 62 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and three interceptions. 2023 fourth-round pick Jake Haener has completed 69.6 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and one Interception. Jackson believes first-year head coach Kellen Moore is priming Rattler as the favorite to start in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. "Over the team’s 10 practices, these three young passers have seen their chance to earn the starting role to begin the season in a rotation of first-team reps," Jackson wrote. "But there are decisions the Saints have made in the process that indicate a favorite. "After looking over individual performance stats, practice rep distribution and the team’s treatment of each quarterback throughout the important and highly-productive scrimmages on camp day 10, it’s become clear that Rattler is comfortably in the lead, for now." Jackson thinks Rattler can fend off his "convincing lead" for the starting job if he plays competently against the Chargers on Sunday. Rattler feels like the safe choice for Moore over Shough and Haener, at least to start the regular season. He appeared in seven games and started in six in 2024. Rattler played inconsistently as a rookie, throwing four touchdowns to five interceptions. However, he's had time to develop. Given his numbers in training camp, Rattler appears to be the most polished quarterback before the regular season. Shough could eventually develop into the Saints' best option, but the rookie's completion percentage against friendly competition at camp is low before he even faces live action in the preseason.
Orioles claim pair of players
The Orioles have claimed infielder Vidal Brujan off waivers from the Cubs and right-hander Carson Ragsdale off waivers from the Giants, according to a team announcement. Brujan is out of options and must be added to the big league roster but has not yet reported. Ragsdale, meanwhile, was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles’ 40-man roster now stands at 37, so no corresponding 40-man moves are necessary. Brujan, 27, was a top-100 prospect in the Rays’ system for many years. He failed to establish himself at the big league level in Tampa, however, and hit just .157/.218/.221 across 99 games (272 plate appearances) between 2021 and 2023 for the club. Prior to the 2024 season, Brujan was shipped alongside reliever Calvin Faucher to the Marlins in a trade and he was able to take on a larger role with a rebuilding Miami club. With regular playing time available to him, his performance modestly improved. He remained a below-average contributor overall, however, with a 73 wRC+ despite a 19.4% strikeout rate and a 9.0% walk rate. Those solid discipline numbers were outweighed by a complete lack of power, less impressive speed on the basepaths than his days a prospect would’ve otherwise indicated, and a lackluster BABIP. While Brujan was versatile enough to hold onto a bench role for the Marlins, he was shipped to the Cubs last offseason in the Matt Mervis trade. He held onto a bench role with Chicago throughout the first half and had value on paper as a player who could help hold down third base while Matt Shaw developed in the minor leagues while also spelling Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field. Unfortunately, the fit didn’t work out as well in practice as Brujan posted an atrocious 43 wRC+ in 36 games and was designated for assignment just before the trade deadline. Ragsdale, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old right-handed starter. He was added to the Giants’ 40-man roster last November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft after he posted a strong 3.49 ERA in 14 starts at the Double-A level that year, but a career ERA north of 5.00 at Triple-A in conjunction with a 19.9% strikeout rate against a 13.0% walk rate at the level this year left Ragsdale as little more than a depth starter for a club with a number of viable young arms. San Francisco designated him for assignment to make room for top pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt on the roster prior to the trade deadline. Now, both players are ticketed to join the Orioles organization. Brujan figures to join the club’s active roster within the next couple of days and could serve as a versatility utility option for the infield after Ramon Urias was traded to Houston prior to the deadline this past week. Ragsdale, meanwhile, could make his big league debut at some point down the stretch to help the Orioles eat innings amid injuries to key arms like Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez, particularly after Charlie Morton was shipped off to Detroit.
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