March 6, 2008

Carl Edwards Heavily Penalized For Cheating, But Doesn't Have To Forfeit Vegas Win. : Wait, what?

read story | posted by The_Black_Hand to Auto Racing at 9:43 AM CDT (11 comments total)

It's just a mention, but this article claims Edwards could have gotten up to 10% more downforce from the infraction, which would certainly improve the car's aero package.

In other "Busted by NASCAR News," Robby Gordon's penalties for using an illegal bumper at Daytona were overturned after it was learned the manufacturer sent him the wrong bumper.

Comment icon posted by The_Black_Hand at 9:47 AM CDT on March 6

All these violations are getting way out of control nowadays. It sounds ridiculous Edwards would be able to keep his win, but the point penalty he was given was killer. But whether it be violations during qualifying or actual races, something has to be done. I wish I had more knowlege about what goes into the inspections, how they're all done, etc. If it keeps happening they're going start to lose a lot of credibility as a racing series. So many of these violations seem like minor things when hear about them, but they can obviously make a huge difference.

Comment icon posted by dyams at 10:54 AM CDT on March 6

Would have loved to be there when Edwards got the news. He acts like the All-American, aww shucks kind of guy when things are going his way but whines
like a girlyman when it doesn't. Was glad to see Robbie Gordon get a brake from Nascar, tho.

Comment icon posted by texasred at 12:15 PM CDT on March 6

NASCAR doesn't take away wins from teams caught cheating, as we learned last year and the year before and the year before, etc.

Comment icon posted by mr_crash_davis at 4:20 PM CDT on March 6

nascar has a long standing policy they will never take a win away no matter what.their reasoning is they dont want the 100000+ fans that are at the race to go home thinking one person won only to find out monday or tuesday that who they thought won didnt. but with the penalties they hand out now its like the violator wasnt at the race.

Comment icon posted by snkthe8bal2 at 6:51 PM CDT on March 6

Other teams have been penalized for the oil tank case cover simply being loose. The absence of the cover certainly suggest that it wasn't tight. Roush Fenway president Geoff Smith however states “It’s a tough business for any race team to have to pledge $100,000, 100 points and a six-race crew chief suspension as an indemnity payment to NASCAR against a promise forced from us by NASCAR that no bolt will ever fail its purpose under race conditions.” Yeah right, a failed bolt that happens to give you 10% more downforce. NASCAR did the right thing, except they should have given the guy who finished second the 10 points awarded to the winner.

Comment icon posted by amigo59 at 7:34 AM CDT on March 7

You know, anyone that follows NASCAR will state, that over the past ten years or so, the sport has changed drastically. First with losing Winston, then rules for drivers, then points systems, tires, track conditions, Car-Of_Tomorrow, etc. The almighty dollar has seem to have taken over the integrity of the sport, and it just keeps going, in the wrong direction, in my opinion. Bring back the good 'ol days of racing, and the good ol' boys, that drove the wheels off of the cars. I'm not sure if they are really cars at all anymore....sorry had to vent.

Comment icon posted by aMAIZEd Mark at 4:32 PM CDT on March 7

hey amaized mark i dont know how long you have been following nascar but i am a season ticket holder at daytona and bristol and get to 1 race at dover and martinsville every year.i have followed nascar since the mid 1970's and i guess you dont remember what racing used to be like then.first off everybody cheated plain and simple.it was either cheat or lose.i remember on many times back then when the winner would have 2 or 3 laps on the second place car.back then there would only be 2 or 3 cars that had a chance to win.i dont want that again. it is more competitive now and that started back around 85 or 86 when they switched from the big cars to what they just retired last year.i like them all about even and its up to the driver to win.now you have 15-20 drivers that could win on any given day. the days of run what you brung are long over thankfully.

Comment icon posted by snkthe8bal2 at 5:56 PM CDT on March 7

I suppose we all have our preferences. I long for the days of " Run what you brung" Back then the manufactures did most of the cheating. You had to have a minimum number of cars on the dealers floor before he could race a paticular model of car. No problem just fudge the paper work a little and away you go. The extra lap or two of fuel hidden in the 2" diameter fuel transfer line that did any number of loops and bends between the fuel tank and the engine compartment. Everybody knew the tricks and everybody used them.
As for the number of drivers who can win. Granted there are more. But now it's the 2 or 3 OWNERS who have a chance to win. Hendrix,Roush,Childress. The rest will notch a win or two during the season but that's about it. Give me the good old days and boys. Tell Winston they are more than welcome to come back.

Comment icon posted by Ironhead at 6:36 PM CDT on March 7

I'm seeing more and more people turning off from NASCAR. As was mentioned on Metafilter the other day, unlike other top racing series, NASCAR offers nothing of any benefit to future road cars etc... I mean F1 for example is bringing in energy recovery systems next year, and has other initiatives planned which will eventually filter down to road cars. While it's not as broad as it once was, F1 is a test bed for future road car technology. (Though the FIA are screwing that nicely with things like the freeze on engine development etc...)

NASCAR can make no such claim to be any use whatsoever. They run twice as many races, at twice the length, with twice as many cars, and yet the environmentalist crowd never get on NASCAR's back. WHY? I don't understand why they bitch about F1 and other racing series, despite F1 trying to go green, yet NASCAR, the most polluting series of all, does far more damage and gets a free pass.

My beloved F1 is a big enough farce with this espionage bollocks that just won't go away, but NASCAR... They penalize someone but don't DQ them? That makes even less sense than the FIA saying "McLaren are guilty, but the drivers can keep their points."

Oh I would sell a kidney for a SENSIBLE racing governing body.

snkthe8bal2: Sending fans home with one result and then changing it... In wrestling that's known as a "dusty finish" due to Dusty Rhodes pulling that stunt a lot when he was a booker.

Ah, and once again everything comes back to wrestling.

Comment icon posted by Drood at 7:08 PM CDT on March 7

now you have 15-20 drivers that could win on any given day


Yeah, and then you spend 3-4 hrs of your life watching a decent race only to have it go yellow for the last 10 laps (or the last 3-4 laps) because of a crash or spin. Or as some conspiracy theorists think finishing under yellow to let the "favorite" or "clean cut, best image" guy win. (I am not in that catagory)

It happens too often to suit me. Glad I went back to football.

Comment icon posted by steelergirl at 11:06 PM CDT on March 7

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