Kyle Petty weighs in on large fines from NASCAR: 'They kill the creativity with the rules'

This season we saw Hendrick Motorsports fined a collective penalty of $400,000 and Kyle Petty has an interesting take on it all. NASCAR has always had rules and penalties for breaking such rules. However, there is no doubt in the Next Gen era that the creative wiggle room teams had in years past has gone away a bit.

Talking with Kenny Wallace this week about all things NASCAR, Petty Charity Ride, and more – the two former Cup drivers went back and forth.

Kyle Petty weighed in on the massive fines, which he says isn’t a big deal, but the penalties are getting in the way of creativity.

“Racing [is] unlike any other sport,” Petty explained. “Nobody takes the NFL rulebook, or Major League Baseball rulebook, or golf and they say, ‘Hmmm, maybe I could do this. How can I get in between these rules?’ But everyone would take the NASCAR rulebook and say, “Hmmm, how can I get in between these two rules.’ That’s what you did. That’s what you did from 1949, the first time they ever run a Cup race, until Rick [Hendrick] was fined recently.”

Kyle Petty continued his explanation.

“If I allow Kenny Wallace’s team to [bend therules], it’s going to spread through the garage area like wildfire. So, I have to slap you hard to send that message, and I think that’s where they’re at with all their rules and all their penalties. I don’t like it, and I don’t like to see them because I like creativity and I like to see people use their minds and I’d like to see another Leonard Wood in this sport. I’d like to see another Ray Evernham in this sport, somebody creative like that. But they kill the creativity with the rules and that’s just the way it is.”

Kyle Petty never afraid to share his opinion

No matter what you think of Kyle Petty, he’s a great voice in NASCAR. Even if you don’t agree with what he has to say, he usually has a level head. He’s not a hot-take machine, and I don’t think he ever plans to be.

However, Petty is always going to be honest. Whether he’s talking NASCAR rules, race results, or making predictions for the playoffs. He gets things wrong, but that’s part of the game when you’re an analyst.

Kyle Petty was wrong about Martin Truex Jr. making the Round of 12 with his elimination possible at Bristol. However, Truex pulled it out. Now, Petty is big on the 19 team making the championship race.

“Martin Truex Jr., I had him out. I thought there’s no way that this guy is gonna survive. Bristol has not been one of his best places, but they grind it out, they grind it out and they make something out of nothing,” Petty said on NASCAR’s YouTube channel.

“That means two things: No. 1, that means that team is prepared to run for a championship. No. 2, I think it takes a lot of pressure off Martin Truex. He was out, he gets his bonus points back, he moves to the top of the list again. He has two more rounds make it to Phoenix, and I think he makes it to Phoenix.”

A lot of folks didn’t see Truex Jr. turning it around, not just Kyle Petty. Now, he’s back on top of the standings and ready to make a run at Phoenix. Petty joined the bandwagon, have you?