Photo/editing by Steve Langley
Since he was not going to do his own backflip at Atlanta, Carl Edwards decided to flip Brad Keselowski instead. The dramatic flip that nearly landed Keselowski in the grandstand fence was a purposeful payback for wrongs Carl felt needed to be righted.
In doing that, he wound up being parked for the rest of the race (it was nearly over) and called to the NASCAR hauler for a talking to.
Today, Mike Helton announced the further punishment: a 3-race probation. “And Carl knows what that means”.
Carl knows that he got a slap on the wrist.
Jimmy Spencer got a larger punishment for punching Kurt Busch in the noggin after a race. Carl dang near hurt someone with a 3400 lb 800 hp car, possibly changed the winner of the race and caused another driver to lose one of the best finishes he has had in his young career.
While I am all for NASCAR loosening its grip on the teams in an effort to spur competition, rivalries and fan interest, this is ludicrous. As Keselowski said after the wreck, if NASCAR lets this go, someone will eventually get seriously hurt or killed at 195 mph.
In my opinion, Carl Edwards is an arrogant driver and expresses a lot of anger when other drivers don’t let him do what he wants or they don’t do what he wants them to do. He wanted Brad to slow way down and let him in after he got caught out of position early in the race. At Talladega, he wanted Keselowski to yield to his high-risk, poorly executed blocking move.
Brad did neither and Carl took matters into his own hands. And now NASCAR has basically vindicated Carl and set the bar pretty high for what kind of retaliation will be tolerated this year.
Helton said today, “…But as a reminder, once the incident occurred, we did park the 99 car for the remainder of the race and did not allow him to continue the event.”
So that was punishment? The race was nearly over and he was not going to gain any positions since he was 150 laps down.
Here are the facts: 1) Carl purposely wrecked (not spun out) Brad and Brand went airborne in a pretty bad crash. 2) Brad was shaken up but not seriously injured. 3) The 12 car was basically destroyed. 4) No fans were hurt but that is about as close as one can get without sending a car into the catch fence. 5) Carl admitted he took Brad out. 6) Brad lost a lot of points due to the wreck and Penske has to pay for a new car. 7) The complexion of the race changed because of the wreck and the outcome of the race may have been changed.
At least we all know the level of payback and what level of punishment NASCAR will mete out for other incidents. The benchmark has been set. All we can do is sit back, watch the fun and hope NASCAR is consistent in future punishments. Because unless someone is seriously injured, I don’t see how NASCAR can fine or suspend another driver for anything less.
Let me know your thoughts.
Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.
Great article, Chuck! I agree.
But don’t be caught in inspection with, say, the rear of the car too low! That’s 100 points, $100K fine, and you lose your CC for about six races.
Come on NASCAR, this was malicious intent to do bodily harm. Carl’s been in this business long enough to know what was going to happen. Fast track (fastest), tri-oval (fastest part of track), and going backwards (famous wing that does what it’s supposed to do, hey, it’s a wing) It lifts, and it’s been shown over and over!
I just wonder if any of Carl’s sponsors had any input on the final judgement?
Click on Carl’s Cowboy photo for the full size viewing!
Love the bad bad Carl image!
Once again the powers to be at NASCAR have shown they don’t have a clue. When the should just chill, they go crazy and like this time when the should have parked a clearly dangerous idiot for an extended period of time they dropped the ball. I think if Mike Helton and crew cut their heads off they wouldn’t be any dumber. Clearly its now unsafe for a spectator to attend any race and empty seats would send the message loud and clear. Lets see if King Brian can come up with another great idea, that is if NASA can part with him for a few days.
You can bet that the all mighty sponsor had a lot of input on Carl’s punishment. Possibly the sponsors should be responsible for the wrecked cars and the hurt people in the future….
Great article
First honest take I’ve seen at the situation yet. Obviously your paycheck does not depend upon na$car’s signature. The only thing I think is missing is showing the repeated pattern of abuse cussin carly dishes out. From Atlanta (2004?) where he took Jr out in the chase, to Harvick, Kenseth, now Brad, etc. (comment edited by webmaster) I’d think someone would take notice of the pattern. Further, what hamlin got away with at Hempsted was insane – coming out before the race and telling everyone what he was going to do. Na$car has become a bunch of princesses that get their drawers in a bunch when the script doesn’t go their way and the brass doesn’t have the honchos to do a darn thing about it because it’s now ‘entertainment’ and no longer a competition. Hollywood Hotel my butt, give me a local dirt track 8 days a week and cut these crooks out. Time for a new national stock car series.
So let me get this straight. Jeff Gordon gets out of his car, after a race, off the racetrack, approaches Matt Kenseth, who is also out of his car and off the track, and gives him a shove. Jeff is put on probation for half a season, or the balance of the season, whichever it was. Regardless, a fair amount of time.
Now, 2 or 3 years later, Carl Edwards intentionally wrecks another driver, during the race, on the track, at a high rate of speed, endangering both the driver and goodness knows how many fans. He gets a simple 3 race probation.
Is this either fair or consistent, NASCAR?
na$car has been consistently unfair in the application of their rules, which explains the vagueness written into the rules re: actions detrimental to na$car.
Let’s be honest here for just a sec, edwards has been a favored child since he came into Cup. na$car thinks the cutsey back flips and big smile are an image they want to project for their ‘product’. Ever since they began referring to racing as entertainment, they took racing off the track and put it on a stage. Those guys (and girls) wearing the big red shoes, wigs and noses aren’t drivers, they’re entertainers…
Fortunately, if you do still maintain an interest in competitive stock car racing, there are 1,000s of independent dirt track races held across this country every weekend…