Waid's World

A NASCAR BLOG BY Steve Waid

NASCAR's tolerance appears to have reached an end

Jun 2
I think that when it comes to the new Sprint Cup car, NASCAR has made it abundantly clear it will not tolerate anything remotely close to, shall we say, cheating.
        
The sanctioning body levied its harshest punishments to date when it nabbed Haas CNC Racing for improper wing mounting locations, which it discovered on May 24 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
        
NASCAR impounded Scott Riggs’ No. 66 Chevrolet and Johnny Sauter’s No. 70 Chevrolet. They will not be returned.
        
Crew chiefs Robert “Bootie” Barker (No. 66) and Dave Skog (No. 70) were suspended for six races as well as car chiefs Derick Jennings (No. 66) and Thomas Harris (No. 70). Both teams were penalized 150 car owner points, 150 driver points and fined $100,000 each.
       
These punishments are easily more severe than any other NASCAR has enforced recently.
        
Never before has NASCAR suspended car chiefs.
        
Never before has NASCAR taken away more than 100 car owner or driver points for an infraction on the new car, though that level of penalty has happened.
        
I’m sure it’s happened, but I can’t remember the last time NASCAR said it would not return an impounded car.
        
Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby made it clear NASCAR’s tolerance has reached a breaking point.
        
He said that NASCAR has made it known that the rules about the new car are very clear - as is the inspection process – and that the message had been delivered to the teams.
        
Still, there have been rule infractions. NASCAR doesn’t think it should have to deal with them.
       
So to assure that, and to send a stronger message, it ratcheted up the penalties for Haas CNC.
        
Barker said that his teams’ cars had passed more than one inspection. But, apparently, later something was done to the rear wing mounts that might have slipped past NASCAR had not someone informed on Haas CNC.
        
Getting ratted out is as old as NASCAR. It will happen again, trust me.
        
I think what the teams need to understand is that it makes no difference if they get “creative” on their own or are the victims of
informants. They don’t want to get caught.

NASCAR’s tolerance seems to have reached a limit. But in the future, when it comes to penalties it appears there may not be any limits.
 

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Comments

2 responses to "NASCAR's tolerance appears to have reached an end"
  1. 1
    emily bagwell said:
    Jun 6, 2008 at 7:52 PM

    Well, if NASCAR has reached a limit, it's a pity what they don't try being consistent with how they treat drivers on the track. Some get by with maniacal driving, some don't. Maybe if they weren't driving boxcars, they wouldn't have to cheat. It does matter if someone ratted---everyone hates a snitch!!!

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  2. 2
    Jacki Stevens said:
    Jun 10, 2008 at 5:43 AM

    I have said it before, and I will say it again. Park 'em. Let us say, Jr's team got caught? If NASCAR parked Jr, would not that REALLY get somebody's attention? Money is NOTHING. And 100 pts can be gotten back with one win. PARK 'EM.

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