NASCAR going a little overboard?

Question

You know, I really think that NASCAR should calm down on some of these rules they've got going on. A couple of weeks ago Dale Jr. and his crew chief got busted because of something to do with a bolt or screw, last week Gordon and Johnson had to start in the back of the pack because they had modified their front ends a little, this week Vickers has been disqualified because his car was 1/8th of an inch too low for their standards... ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUS?! I mean really, they're starting to take a lot of the fun out of the sport. What about the old days when people would race in completely different cars and they would make all the modifications they wanted... its racing for god sakes! I mean I can understand if they've done something to put themselves or somebody else in danger, or if they've done something that is going to make a HUGE difference in their car's performance as opposed to other driver's cars but come on! What do you guys think?

I understand there are guidelines and they're trying to keep it simple but you can do both those things without turning into a dictatorship. Like I said, no major modifications but they should allow little ones. Hell maybe even limit the amount of cars that a team can have because I agree 18 cars for 36 races is a little rediculous.

Answer 1

They have made their bed now they have to lay in it... There is not really much they can do this year since they have already set the president of rule breaking. I think they really need to visit some stuff in the off season. They need to set up black and white rules for the COT. What you can and cannot mess with, and make it as clear as they can to the teams.

You know its just like anything else, give it a little time and it will be outdated and there will be all kinds of legal tricks they can do to the cot...

I do you in the case of Vickers, that if you qualify and a part fails... well you just have bad luck, there is no way a part should fail after a few laps of practice, and then two qualifying laps...

Answer 2

NASCAR does give a little. Pit road speed for instance, they give the drivers as much as 5 MPH over the limit at certain tracks, its when they go over that they get nailed. As far as the measurements go, every team knows exactly what NASCAR wants, the smallest difference can make a car a tenth faster on the track which is alot. They are trying to make the cars even for everyone with the COT and let the skills of the drivers stand out. I am a Gordon fan and I have no problem with NASCAR. If other sports were this way there would be alot less problems in sports. Remember NASCAR driver Shane Hmiel, failed a drug test about 4 years ago, he is still not back, good job NASCAR.

Answer 3

You are absolutely right NASCAR has become such a control freak that I don't see the fun in it anymore. If they are wanting a IROC type car then they need to make one garage that they come out of run by NASCAR.
Back in the day the crew chiefs would put pills or use a weaker bolt or something like that to change height of the cars on certain tracks and then during the race the pill would crumble or the bolt would break lowering the back spoiler taking just that 1/4 or 1/2 inch out of the air on the spoiler and make the car much faster. This was caught in the post race inspection. This was watched so close that they made the drivers stop getting on top of there cars in victory lane in there celebration.
Back then I don't ever remember hearing of a team getting fined for a pre- race infraction fine. They would send the car back to the garage and when it was fixed they got back in line for inspection and at the end of the line.
I really think NASCAR has lost there minds and as long as there are idiots that keep thinking this is ok then they will keep doing it.
I will guaranty Bill France SR. would never ok such a stiff fine with out sitting down with the competitors and saying boys we have grown so much that there just isn't anytime for mistakes and if you flagrantly come to the track with un approved parts or the body so far away from the templates that we supplied you with we are going to fine your *** off.
I don't think this was done.

Answer 4

I read the article on Nascar and they already aloow 1/4 of an inch for mistake so Vickers car was 1/8 of an inch over that which makes a total of 3/8 low total.

Answer 5

They said something on SPEED today during practice.

NASCAR wants to the COT to be where teams only have one or two cars that they can use at all tracks. That's what they wanted with the old cars, but they let crews tweak certain things, and now every team has 18 cars for 36 races.

That's not an exact quote, but it's as close as I could get, seeing as I'm trying to remember what was said on TV while I was on my lunch break.

And maybe they're going overboard a little bit, but they don't want the COT ending up like the old cars.

Answer 6

Rules are rules. Pretty simple. 1/8" is a MILE for a car. Especially compared to 42 other cars that are 1/8" higher.
Nascar is, has, and always will be a dictatorship.
The COT is in it's infancy and they don't want anybody messing with it because they want accurate results so they know where to go with it in the future. Period.

Book Writer, thats the funniest answer I've seen on here! "Nascar is jealus of the most popular drivers......."
Where do some of these 'answers' come from? The bottom of a bong!?!?!

Have you ever built a car for the Boy Scout's "pinewood Derby"? That tech inspection is just as tough as Nascar's.

Once the COT is being used full time and the car is ironed out, Nascar won't be so harsh because it'll be business as usual and they will have less than 18 car's still.

How is someone breaking the rules taking the fun out of it?

Answer 7

I agree. I at first thought that NASCAR went overboard with Jeff and Jimmie's penalty but then I thought that it won't effect them that much because Jeff and Jimmie are already having success with their new crew chiefs and I know they will get those points back soon. Starting in the back at Sonoma didn't effect them much because they had good finishes. I think that Kurt Busch's penalty wasn't enough. He almost ran over one of Tony Stewart's crew members and I think he hit Tony's car. On Brian Vicker's case, it is just ridiculous. It is 1/8Th of an inch!!! Why did they send him home? Is he going to be able to race tomorrow?

Go Jeff Gordon!!!
D.F.5!!!
Denny Hamlin SUCKS!!!

Answer 8

"Are you serious" Thats what Denny Hamlins crew chief said too , when he saw what NASCAR was picking on. Well I guess its time to spend a couple million dollars on a laser scanner to check the bodies of the cars. So much for the COT saving money.

Answer 9

Maybe nascar thinks they know what people want, like the car of tomorrow, and fire works. Seriously, I started going to the stock car races in New England in the early 60's. And the tracks would give breaks to those drivers that they thought the people came to see. But instead of competitive breaks, now they give publicity. I bet the sponsors like it.

Answer 10

I'm just waiting for the 6 week, $100K and 100 point sanctions coming against the 83 and Richert this week. They better be coming since they did it to the 24 and 48...