Josh Williams will get an extra week to think about the bizarre stunt he pulled during Saturday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. NASCAR announced Tuesday it is suspending the Xfinity Series driver for this weekend’s race at Circuit of the Americas.
Williams made headlines and raised eyebrows after he parked his car at the start/finish line during the race and walked away. NASCAR had ordered him to exit the race because his car was dropping debris after being involved in an earlier accident. Officials expected him to park his car in the garage, of course, not on the track.
Josh Williams parked it … literally … on the start-finish line. pic.twitter.com/e42EV2u21g
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 18, 2023
While some fans were amused by the stunt, NASCAR certainly was not. Officials cited multiple rules violations in suspending Williams. That included the always popular citation of actions “detrimental to stock car racing or NASCAR.”
Williams issued a statement on his Twitter account following the suspension. He thanked his fans and sponsors for sticking by him. But he also doubled down on his decision to park his car on the track, saying he did not regret the move.
“I stand behind what I did and don’t regret any decision I made,” he said. “I stand behind NASCAR for these decisions and will continue and always continue to support them. I am not going anywhere any time soon!”
My statement following the announcement from @NASCAR. pic.twitter.com/aCJrg8EY4B
— Josh Williams (@Josh6williams) March 21, 2023
DGM Racing announced that Alex Labbé will substitute for Williams at COTA in the No. 92 Chevrolet.
