NASCAR penalizes Sammy Smith for intentional wrecking…

Sammy Smith driving into the final corner at Martinsville from several car lengths back in order to intentionally wreck Taylor Gray for the NASCAR Xfinity Series win didn't work out for him, Gray or the rest of the field [besides race winner Austin Hill]. It turns out the chaos Smith's driving has backfired on the driver of the No. 8 car for JR Motorsports.

There have been calls by various NASCAR veterans for series officials to take action against Smith with Denny Hamlin -- who won Sunday's Cup race -- being one of the more outspoken voices. And the sanctioning body seemed to have heard them, as they decided to fine Smith $25,000. But more importantly, NASCAR docked the JR Motorsports driver 50 points. The loss of points drops him from sixth to 13th in the championship standings.

Sammy Smith, JR Motorsprots Chevrolet (Photo by: Logan Riely / Getty Images)

Interestingly, NASCAR also fined both Gray and Jeb Burton $5,000 for violating the member code of conduct at the infield care center. Gray got into a heated confrontation with Smith outside the care center while Burton went there after the race to confront Daniel Dye.

As for if this is a good enough to deter future situations like this, it's possible. Between Smith's penalty and Austin Dillon being removed from the playoffs for wrecking his way to the Richmond Cup win last year, drivers will certainly think twice before running over the competition. However, the points penalty will only prove costly if he fails to win a race during the regular season. Should Smith go out and win before the playoffs, his place in the regular season standings will matter very little in the whole scheme of things.

Loose wheel penalty

Beyond Smith, NASCAR issued expected suspensions for the loose wheel that came off of Shane van Gisbergen's No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. The wheel fell off on the race track, forcing a caution flag during green-flag pit stops. As a result, jackman Aslan Pugh and rear tire changer Jonpatrik Kealey have been suspended for the next two races — forced to sit out both Darlington and Bristol.

Some lesser penalties from the weekend include a $5,000 fine for the No. 00 Haas Factory Team Ford due to unsecured lug nut(s) after the Xfinity race and a $2,500 fine for the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet after the Truck race.