5 most controversial NASCAR penalty decisions of all time

Since 1948, NASCAR has seen some glorious days in the sport's popularity across the United States, but certain decisions have tainted its legacy in the grand scheme of things. Though officials have tried to impose adequate penalties for certain circumstances, a few instances have gone on to be remembered by the fandom.

With incidents ranging from usual penalties to hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, let's take a look at the biggest controversial decisions in the history of the sport:

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5 most controversial NASCAR penalty decisions of all time

#5. Joey Logano's glove incident

Joey Logano is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and is known for his fierce nature on track. While he has a respectable qualifying pace, a post-qualifying inspection at Atlanta Motor Speedway tarred his chances heading into the weekend.

Logano's left racing glove was found to have webbing between the fingers to supposedly reduce the drag entering from the window. This design was controversial as officials condemned the modification and handed the Team Penske driver a $10,000 fine. Moreover, he had to give up his qualifying spot and serve an in-race drive-through penalty on top of it.

#4. NASCAR banned Curtis Turner

Unlike other racing series, NASCAR doesn't have a drivers' union to this day. While F1 has its Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), the stock car series has proactively gone beyond its bounds to not have a drivers' association.

Moreover, this mindset can be traced back to Curtis Turner being banned for organizing a union, the Federation of Professional Athletes. It was formed to aid the construction of Charlotte Motor Speedway, but the sport's founder, Bill France Sr., gave him a lifetime ban that sent shockwaves through the racing realm.

While this ban was lifted four years later, its impact lives on to this day.

#3. Richard Petty's "first" race victory

Richard Petty was declared the winner of the race at Atlanta’s Lakewood Speedway in 1959. But his maiden victory was soon protested by another driver for being falsely given by another driver, who was his father, Lee Petty.

Lee argued that Richard was credited with an extra lap, which later came to be true. So, the results were altered and "The King" was stripped of his maiden race win and dropped down to third, while his father claimed another race victory in the top division.

#2. Richard Petty's 198th career victory

While Richard Petty's first race victory brought controversies, his 198th one was also marred by one. After the 1983 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Petty's car was found to have an engine with a larger displacement than permitted, alongside illegal placement of tires on the car. He was fined $35,000 and a massive 104-point penalty.

While many reckoned the penalties to be fair, one thing stood out: his win was not stripped. NASCAR officials did not disqualify him from the race, which led many to suggest that the seven-time champion's influence affected the final decision.

If Petty had been disqualified, his final win tally would not have reached 200 when he retired, so this decision had major implications for the record books.

#1. Spingate

Much like F1's crashgate, the spingate also involved the intent to deliberately bring a caution period. This happened when Clint Bowyer spun out on his own to help lay a domino effect in such a way that Martin Truex Jr. would earn a spot in the chase system.

In the aftermath of the race, three teams were found to be at fault for two different incidents, but they were held by NASCAR officials with no mercy. It led to Michael Waltrip Racing shutting down its operations as it could not recover from the financial burden by 2015, while Team Penske and Front Row Motorsports were sent into probation for manipulating the race.