NA$CAR Hands Downs Unprecedented Penalties

[Main Street Jim]

In case you hadn't watched the Richmond race:

Clint Bowyer's crew chief comes on the radio and says, "Your arm hurts, don't it?" Seconds later, Bowyer mysteriously spins out all by himself. Caution comes out, and everyone pits - with about seven laps to go.

The green comes back out, and Ty Norris, the team manager for Michael Waltrip Racing, tells Brian Vickers he needs to pit - under green - with four laps to go. The crew takes *forever* to "change tires"; Vickers goes back out with two to go, and rides around at 60 mph.

The moves effectively bumped Martin Truex, Jr. up two positions on the race track, along with Joey Logano - and knocked MWR rival teams Hendrick Motorsports with Jeff Gordon and Stewart-Haas Racing with Ryan Newman out of the NASCAR "Chase for the Championship".

NASCAR handed down penalties today (Monday) to Michael Waltrip Racing, the team that Truex, Bowyer, and Vickers drive for. Each of the three teams received 50 points in penalties, effectively putting Ryan Newman back into the Chase via his "Wild Card" slot by virtue of winning at Indianapolis earlier in the season. MWR as a whole received $300,000 in monetary fines, and Norris has effectively been barred from appearing at any NASCAR Sprint Cup events by receiving an indefinite suspension by NASCAR.

Bowyer, Vickers, and MWR turned that whole race - and the Chase - into a joke. I certainly disagree with the Chase - never have liked it. The team that's the best all year long - and not just in the last ten races - should be the champ. I don't care if he hasn't a race all year.

The radio conversations and the video don't lie. Junior said it was "the weirdest thing he ever seen", with Bowyer all on and off the gas, on and off the brakes, throwing the car around down the backstretch, finally looping it - and, according to Junior, "I never touched 'im".

The things I don't agree with about these penalties?

1) The monetary penalties should be $300,000 *for each team*.
2) Don't agree with the 50 point penalties. Shoulda been more.
3) Both Bowyer and Truex - as part of MWR - should have been booted out of the Chase (thereby losing out on sponsor bonuses that they otherwise would have gotten by being IN the Chase). Newman *and* Gordon back in, since both of those drivers were affected by the actions of all three MWR cars.

[joonyer]

I agree with you Jim, and I have been a Nascar fan for 50+ years. Junior Johnson won the first race I ever saw when I was 7 years old. Thus my screen name, an homage to the "Last American Hero", not to the other "junior". That being said, this latest race has brought to the forefront just what a debacle Nascar has become, I don't know how much I can stand to watch anymore. It's become more of a show, and now a joke, instead of real racing.

[missymouseworld]

Sounds like PEDs....Performance Enhancing Driving. Does anyone "not" cheat in Sports? Enough already.

[princessgirls]

I WAS an avid NASCAR fan. We traveled (mostly before kids) all over for races. I have seen some great racing...Daytona, Talledega, Dover, New Hampshire, Pocono, Richmond, Atlanta.

I had the privilege to be in the Grandstands for the Daytona 500 in 1998 when Earnhardt won it! I also was there when he died. We were diehard fans.
Not so much anymore... This organization NEEDS a complete overhaul. It has become a joke, and I can't even stand to watch it!
Julie

[Melanie]

I WAS an avid NASCAR fan. We traveled (mostly before kids) all over for races. I have seen some great racing...Daytona, Talledega, Dover, New Hampshire, Pocono, Richmond, Atlanta.

I had the privilege to be in the Grandstands for the Daytona 500 in 1998 when Earnhardt won it! I also was there when he died. We were diehard fans.
Not so much anymore... This organization NEEDS a complete overhaul. It has become a joke, and I can't even stand to watch it!
Julie

You sound exactly like my brother, although he was not a 3 fan.

As a casual observer with many relatives as diehard fans and growing up in NC, it indeed has become a joke.

[1DisneyNut]

I WAS an avid NASCAR fan. We traveled (mostly before kids) all over for races. I have seen some great racing...Daytona, Talledega, Dover, New Hampshire, Pocono, Richmond, Atlanta.

I had the privilege to be in the Grandstands for the Daytona 500 in 1998 when Earnhardt won it! I also was there when he died. We were diehard fans.
Not so much anymore... This organization NEEDS a complete overhaul. It has become a joke, and I can't even stand to watch it!
Julie

I completely agree and was also a huge fan. I was at the Daytona race prior to the one he died in (the July race in prior season). I had season tickets to both races at Talladega that I renewed for years.

I haven't gone to a race in about 10 years and haven't watched but a handful on TV in the past 6 or 7. It turned into corporate spokespersons riding around in circles trying not to have a wreck or caution. They would then get out of the car and sip out of whatever brand drink sponsored them, put the hat on with their major corporate sponsor and then proceed to thank all their sponsors and then hug everybody. It is just boring and sickening and I can't stand to even watch.

They can't sell tickets to the races but yet they won't lower the prices, TV viewership is down the toilet but yet they still won't let the drivers speak their mind or have any detectable personality whatsoever.

So all I have to say is.....Who really cares who they fined or for what? lol