In my opinion, NASCAR is NOT playing fair.
I wish that NASCAR would sit back and really look at the penalties they have dished out or didn’t dish out. We can rehash it over and over again, but NASCAR does not seem to care what the fans want, or like, or that some drivers get away with way too much, where as others get the rule book thrown at them.
I’d like to go back to the first race in the Chase. Tony Stewart’s car was found in post race inspection to be too low. NASCAR allowed the team to take it behind the wall and into the garage and work on it. Since when can a car be worked on after the race to make post race inspection? Then NASCAR found the damage on the fender was the cause of it being too low. Well, when did the damage take place? Was it out on the track or was it done in the garage after the race. C’mon, NASCAR, let’s play fair.
Where was NASCAR’S eyes this weekend at Dover? They have a driver who has no control over his temper, namely Tony Stewart, and he goes off the deep end again on pit road, hitting the #15 not just once, but twice. Then under caution out on the track he drives up next to the right side of the #15 and hits him big time. Where was the penalty for this driver? …NONE… It’s like it never happened. Why wasn’t Stewart blackflagged? … because it’s NASCAR’S bad boy and he’s in the Chase. Shame on NASCAR for being so blind. C’mon, NASCAR, let’s play fair.
Most recently we have Carl Edwards (whom I do happen to like) not passing post race inspection this past weekend at Dover. It was the same thing as Stewart about being too low. What does the #99 team get? 25 driver points, 25 owner points, and a $25,000 fine.
In my opinion, the team was cheating big time.
Here’s why.
If you recorded the race, go back and take a look at the #99 on the start/finish line, when a crew member whispered something in Carl’s ear. Then, in the Winner’s Circle, Carl stands on the window facing the media instead of the fans like all drivers usually do. The next thing we know his back side lands on the roof of the car… So, was it meant to happen that way as a cover up so that when Carl jumped down it meant he could reach in and with his fist knock the dent out…. or, maybe a low roof cover up?
Come on, NASCAR, this was a COT race and you stated that ANY COT would be fined big money and big points. The Chase just gets started and this is all that happened?
Let us not forget the penalties dished out to Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Yeah, I know that something was wrong… but it was before they were ever out on the track. All of their problems were found as they went through pre-race inspection.
At Infineon the 24 and 48 were not allowed to qualify and were parked for the day… Jr almost got the same thing.
Here we are, in the Chase, and twice NASCAR has allowed the drivers to get off with just a tiny slap on their hands…or none at all….
C’mon, NASCAR, let’s play fair.
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You are right, Carolyn. I’ve reviewed my tape of the race and Opie definitely thumps the inside roof of his car roof after he turns away from giving his interview. You can actually see the “roof pop out”… Isn’t this why they stopped the drivers from jumping on the roof ? You KNOW a template wouldn’t have fit properly if he hadn’t done that! Heaven forbid if they had to actually fine him for two different violations !
NASCAR doesn’t care about being fair. They are looking for drivers to shake up the field and have more upsets… (i.e. They would love to see Carl win a championship in both the “Baby Busch Series” as well as the Cup Series…) IMO, those cup drivers in the Busch Series should be given handicaps. What a shame the Busch regulars hardly ever experience victory circle or engage in many interviews to become more skilled and comfortable in the public. I won’t watch the Busch races anymore just to see Harvick, Edwards, Hamlin, Stewart, Bowyer, etc. dominate in that series. What in heck do they limit test sessions for if NASCAR allows all those driver to get extra practice ? Doesn’t matter… NASCAR will throw a few cautions and “level up the field” when they need to make it a bit more exciting anyway…
It’s important to remember that the Chase contenders had their points re-done and 100 point penalty wouldn’t work. The 25 is like a 100 point penalty prior to the adjustment.
I agree with many of the points in your article and with the two comments below. All we ask for is parity. Playing the Devil’s Advocate for just a second, though, I wonder if we ask too much of NASCAR. With other sports like baseball or football, because the referees are different each game, we accept inconsistencies in the rulings from game to game (though usually not within one game itself). I was watching a soccer match the other day and was delighted that the ref called very few penalties. But it never occurred to me to criticize the sanctioning body for allowing such different refereeing styles because another referee might not rule the same. With so many cooks in the kitchen at NASCAR, I wonder if it’s too much to ask that they “play fair.” There are many different inspectors and maybe they all feel differently.
I know you can’t forsee and pre-respond to every situation out there, but NASCAR would help themselves, the drivers, and the fans if they would categorize the various infractions (e.g. inspection before the race, inspection after the race, deliberate cheating, temper trantrums while driving, personal confrontations while not driving, etc. etc.) and if they pre-assigned penalties, they would be more consistent.
I’m still unhappy with the inconsistency with hiting/shoving off the race track. Jimmy Spencer had to miss a race, Jeff Gordon got fined (I think) and probation, Juan Pablo and Kyle Petty got off scott free becuase “it adds excitement for the fans.” I realize, just as in courts of law, there are always variables, and you can’t always pre-determine what someone will do wrong, but at least they ought to try to let everyone know ahead of time — if you do this, the penalty will be that. It appears that there is too much making up the rules as they go along, and that is what everyone is irritated about.
As to the Dover race — they had to penalize Carl Edwards — whether it was intentional cheating or not — because they have penalized everyone else who has had the same problem post race. Also, I like Tony — but if Robby G had been doing the same thing, do you think he would have gotten away with it?
The reason Stewart was not called to the carpet BY NASCAR is he’s currently on probation. He would have had a BIG points deduction and large fines and probably sat out a race or two. Therefore he would have been out of the chase. So what’s the problem?
It’s like NASCAR is afraid of Tony so they tend to look the other way. Were they waiting to see if Tony had done damage or waiting for him to wreck the #15 before saying any thing about it? What about the rough driving penalty, putting him on the end of the longest line? Why wasn’t anything at all done? Is it maybe that Home Depot is a major sponsor of NASCAR?
NASCAR’s lack of consistency handing out fines and penalties this year has been a real joke. You can knock the crap out of a driver three times in one lap with no penalty but by gosh don’t you dare be a 1/4″ too low or we’ll take 25 points and $25,000 out of your pocket! Play nice NASCAR….
Nascar is looking more and more like professional wrestling to me. The only thing missing is a script. Wonder when that starts?
Steve L wrote, “The reason Stewart was not called to the carpet BY NASCAR is he’s currently on probation. He would have had a BIG points deduction and large fines and probably sat out a race or two. Therefore he would have been out of the chase. So what’s the problem?”
OH MY GOODNESS !! If that isn’t hitting the nail right on the head, I don’t know what is. PERFECT answer and I truly believe Steve is right, however NASCAR did get Tony to do a 360 on his radio show comments that NASCAR was no different than pro-wrestling these dayz…….
Ok NASCAR, Carolyn has you this time. And what makes her so right is that she went back for the whole year. And was on the money. She caught Nascar for CHEATING. For thinking that fans don’t pay attention. I am a fan of car racing, and for years couldn’t wait each week to see the Nascar race on Saturdays or Sundays. But this year I was so glad when football started, gave me something to watch. At least in football you can go back and watch instant replays, and know who was wrong or right. And if it’s a bad enough call, it will be reviewed. I’ll just add that I was a big Tony Stewart fan, but not anymore. I’ve watched his temper go bad to many times. You know it’s understandable that someone would loose there temper once in a while, but not all the time. Racing should be that racing, thats it. I beleive if someone is blocking you lap after lap you should be able to move them. Because you are the faster car, but at the same time, It’s got to be done the right way. Not with temper, but with skill. They are two drivers that can’t do it that way. Tony Stewart, and Robby Gordon. Now thats another story in it’s self. Nascar, get your self together or loose. Fine yourself 50 billion, and start over.
I have decided that I have watched and supported Nascar for tha last time . The Dover Race will be the very last time that I expose myself to the pretension, by Nascar, that this is a legitimate sport that is fairly regulated and is in the best interest of safety and the FANS! The FANS, BE D*****, IT IS only for THe NASCAR MANAGEMENT TO generate Millions of DOLLARS at the expense of the paying fans and Sponsers. Whether or not anyone agrees with the rulings they will be made according to what is the most profitable for the Nascar management. I will NO LONGER, waste my electric on watching another farce, otherwise called Nascar. It is an abomination that Nextel cup drivers are permitted to enter the Busch races. NO amount of their B*** **** will convince me that it is not purely a money thing for NASCAR. Why even pretend anything else. Bottom line. Nascar needs some competetion to get them to face reality. Its not as honest as Pro wrestling, and that is total FAKE, but then SO IS THIS FARCE!!! Come on America, Stop letting ourselves be cheated by Big Money!
John O .You are absolutely right,NA$CAR is the biggest farce ont there.I gave up my tickets a couple of years ago and really feel good these days when I read about all the goofy things that Brain is coming up with.Rick Flair should be running the show……………
Wha Wha Wha….Stop your whining.
Geez…Nascar is a great sport. It has its problems like every other sport. NFL has been caught cheating (patriots), MLB (Bonds), Basketball (that ref). You don’t see their fans wanting to quit the sport.
There is a mistake, fix it.
Don’t give up on a good thing just because you want to miserable. I like NASCAR, and I am tired of the entire NASCAR Online world complaining about every little thing about it everyweek. Keep it up and NASCAR will take the slide like the NHL.
I am sorry that you don’t make the judgement calls when it comes to big issues in NASCAR. But guess what, you don’t own NASCAR. Nascar is doing what they think it best for the sport, and guess what, so far they have done a pretty good job.
Just, people, if you like the sport, start replying back to the all the whiners. There has got to be a positive group of people promoting NASCAR, or the sport will take a hit. I like seeing it on TV everyweek. I don’t want to have to go back to listening to it on the RADIO because my local channel doesn’t want to pick it up.
You guys can stop watching the race, I am going to stop reading all the whining everyone is doing online.
Thank You
You do realize that the infraction on Carl’s car was being too low in an area where being too low is a BAD THING, right? Carl didn’t win because of the lowness, he won despite it. Doesn’t matter, wrong is wrong in the end, I think the penalty was fair and in line with similar penalties this year, considering the infraction.
I’d rather watch Tony knock the crap out of someone or Kyle smack some snottynosed overprivledged, under-talented hack than listen to some politically correct “it was just one of those racing deals.”
Just my thoughts
NASCAR is not a sport, nor is it a fair competition. As the late, great Dale Earnhardt Sr. once observed this ain’t racin, it’s a show. WWE has it’s Vince McMahon and NASCAR has Mike Helton. Either one of them could have studied at the knee of P.T. Barnum
Nascar has been in a downward spiral for a long time. Nascar tries to fix every race so certain racers win. They would love to see Gordon win another title. The hendricks influence the France family bank book. I have turned my racing TV to short track or any sport. Lawrence
Sam Gault, you’re missing the point. Yes, every sport has people trying to cheat. The difference is Nascar hands out penalties based on who they want to win, the other sports hand out penalties to stop the cheating… That’s why you don’t see the fans of other sports leaving. College football has the “death penalty” rule, Nascar has the “Well, um, this guy makes us a lot of money and he’s on probation, so we need to look the other way, or we’ll lose that money” rule.
Sam is probably please with the results from the Kansas race too. Whatever NASCAR sez goes, right Sam ?? No need to “follow any stoopid rules. We’ll just make ‘em up as we go”…
Its a fact, there is cheating in Nascar, unfortunatly they, Nascar, hold all the cards and owe nobody any explaination for any call they make or fine they impose. Fans shouldnt be so nieve as to think that Nascar doesnt have favorites, thier track record is evidence enough to prove they HAVE favorites and they rule the roost! What would any of you think if I told you that all those victores that Richard Petty claims were not really victories at all, but fixed races to please the crowd. Of course this was back in the day when drivers and crew slept in the pits under trucks and cars, no fancy haulers or money for motels. And drivers wives were the score keepers and many point cards were questionable. All this info is in a book by Johnny Wynn Lawrence, a decesed driver from the 60s. Cheating is a business practice conducted by Nascar, its went on since the conception of the sport and good people get hurt because of it. As fans we either accept it or just dont have nothing to do with it at all. And that line,”put on a good show for the fans” show is all it is, Nascar is a bigger circus act than WWE ever thought it could be, at least WWe throws its punches with some reality!