NASCAR looking into Bowyer’s spin

With one suspicious snap of the steering wheel, Clint Bowyer changed the outcome of a race and maybe the championship, too.

Accidental or intentional, his spin in the closing laps at Richmond International Raceway set in motion a chain of events that has shrouded the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship and raised many questions about the potential for a race team to manipulate pivotal moments of a race.

NASCAR is reviewing evidence to determine if Michael Waltrip Racing deliberately altered Saturday night’s race, potentially costing both Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon spots in the Chase, to benefit MWR driver Martin Truex Jr.

An ESPN replay that included communication between Bowyer and his team implied the spin was deliberate. Bowyer was shown the video after the race and denied he spun intentionally, a claim he repeated throughout the postrace activities.

“We had a flat tire or something. It just snapped around,” Bowyer said, later adding, “I know it’s a lot of fun for you guys to write a lot of wacky things. Go ahead if you want to, get creative. But don’t look too much into it.”

Sebastian Vettel’s rivals have all but conceded the Formula One title after the German recorded his sixth victory of the season with a resilient performance to win the Italian Grand Prix.

Jordan Taylor held off Scott Pruett and IndyCar driver Scott Dixon to win the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey.