Long: Ross Chastain’s restart detour should lead to change next year

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Reddick didn’t know if he was dueling for the win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway or being harassed by a car under penalty. 

Ross Chastain, running fifth, had missed Turn 1 on the overtime restart and sped through the escape route. He returned to the track next to Reddick, who was leading.

Reddick and Chastain then swapped the lead, but Reddick still didn’t know if he was racing Chastain for the win.

Reddick said his spotter told him he thought Chastain would be penalized but NASCAR had yet to say anything.

“He’s going to get penalized isn’t good enough,” Reddick said. “I didn’t know for sure if he was or wasn’t.”

Reddick worried that if Chastain was going to be penalized and they continued to battle, that would allow Austin Cindric to close and challenge Reddick for the win. If Reddick knew Chastain was under penalty, he’d let him go.

Reddick went on to win and NASCAR penalized Chastain (and Austin Dillon) for gaining positions via the escape route. Both Chastain and Dillon were assessed 30-second penalties. That dropped Chastain from second to 27th. Dillon was credited with 30th, the last car on the lead lap.

There’s a bigger issue with this situation, though.

Speeding through the escape route could allow a car to gain time. An executive from a different team told NBC Sports the team was aware of the potential advantage. 

The solution should be simple. 

Put up cones in the escape route that forces a driver to slow and weave around them. That will make it truly a disadvantage to go through there. 

It’s what the NTT IndyCar Series does on street courses and should be something for next year’s Indy road course race — and any other road course event, including the Chicago street race, if there is a