Has NASCAR gone penalty crazy?

Question

I wasn't aware of this until now, but I didn't know NASCAR fined 3 different crew chiefs in the busch series last weekend. This is busch and non COT races, NASCAR is fining teams left and right, cup or busch, COT or not. It's crazy.
http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/bg/07/04/cedwards.blabonte.bsherman.penalties/index.html

Answer 1

Well, yeah they are going to crazy, but they are also trying to prove a point. If they let teams get away with cheating all the time, then it shows NASCAR is letting teams run all over them. They are putting their foot down and saying, "This is going to stop, or else there will be penalties." It's France's way of reminding everyone he's the boss and in charge.

Answer 2

OK for all you newbies, this has been going on since there was a rule to be broken.

Every crew chiefs job is to get as much out of the rule as they possibly can. The NASCAR teams got shook up years ago when one of it's own and good crew chiefs Gary Newman started working for NASCAR in the lead position of the inspection department. He had been there and knew what rules were weak and not. Which one was the easiest to slide by and so forth.

But today it is different I'm not sure what is going on but I think they have gone crazy because the fans seem to be ok with it and Bill France Sr. has passed on and there is a new bunch in town with no one to over see.

Busting these guys isn't that unusual but the amount of the fines is and for a new type car there is no give or take on the spec's which baffles me. I would have thought they would say you didn't pass on your first try through inspection ( mind you they haven't even got on the track yet ) so go back and make it right.
But thank God I don't watch too many races any more because of this kind of crap and there are a bunch of these tracks that suck these days. I watch the old track races and that is about it.

Answer 3

All Season long I have listened to everyone fuss and cuss about Hendricks and when they got busted at Sonoma everyone lined up to crucify them; not taking the time to find out NASCAR didn't even have the rule on the books till after they had already benched Jeff and Jimmy.

However, Roush Racing is notorious for blatantly cheating in the Busch Series and worse, cheating on cars being Driven by Cup Regulars. The #17 Roush Busch car has been sited 5 times in the past two season for rules violations; that was with Matt Kennseth behind the wheel. This makes the third violation in the past two season for a Busch car being Driven by Carl Edwards.

I personally am getting tired of watching Cup Regulars (aka Buschwackers) beating up on the Busch Series guys. I understand that they need Cup Regulars to draw Fans, but at the same time there needs to be a limit. For a Cup Regular to be points leader and eventually Champion ruins it for up an coming Drivers.

I strongly believe any Team in the Busch Series who has a Cup Regular driving their car and gets caught cheating should not be allowed to use a Cup Regular Driver for the remainder of the Season.

I am utterly amazed at NASCAR's inconsitencies on enforcing rules. The #5 and #70 got caught at Louden in the Cup Series. Did they get 100 points docked, $100,000 fines, and 6 weeks suspension for the Crew Chiefs....NO!! They lost 25 points and $25,000. How in the world is that fair considering how hard the 8, 24, and 48 Teams got hit.

Answer 4

Sure, Mr. France and his cronies are out of hand. They have nothing to do to but earn the millions they rake in from us fans so they have to look busy. They even made a new rule up yesterday. Now if a crew chief is suspended, he cannot come on Track property, even as a spectator. He can't even park a Motor Home outside of the track, he can not have cell phone calls to the track and he cannot have TV reception to the crew. I suppose next thing you know, his wife, kids, parents, relatives or a great uncle from Italy, will be banned from the track. What a sham nascar has made of itself. I have just about quit watching this act of comedies.

Answer 5

NASCAR is trying to send a message that altering the car that is not in accordance to a very strict rule book is big trouble. I am not sure I agree with the limitations they have placed on the cars today..... take a look at the old school cars and you will see cars that looked totally different from each other... today a Ford looks pretty much like the Chevy, Dodge, and the Toyota. They have restrictions on the shocks, tires, motors, gas tanks, fenders, gears, etc. Not much left to competition in building the cars.... just luck and the driver.

I would like to see the old points system back and more freedom in building a fast car. ;-))

Answer 6

I wouldn't say that exactly. I think that they have not been strict enough in the past about anything. If they lay down the law and lay it down hard then all these issues will go away. Suspend an entire team for failing an inspection... you might have to do it a couple times but after that owners and sponsors will start policing their own organizations and things will run a lot smoother.

Answer 7

NASCAR is getting complaints from teams,racefans ,and the media that the sport needs to be policed better.So NASCAR is looking very close to infractions that occur.
The fines and suspentions are needed to work on a level field for all competitors in the sport.

Answer 8

No nascar is sending a message to all of the drivers crews, Nascar shouldn't have to tolerate this, this whole cheating thhing is starting to get out of hand, and the NASCAR officials need to start doing something about it.

Answer 9

Whatever... NASCAR wouldn't have to go penalty crazy if the teams would just play by the rules! You cheat, or make a dumb error that causes the car to fail inspection, you get penalized... Whats so crazy about that?

Answer 10

People dont get penalized, and people cry that the rules arent enforced.

People get penalized, and people cry that NASCAR is going overboard.

Deal with it, NASCAR should pentalize anyone who breaks the rules. If people start trying to bend the rules left and right, NASCAR should get more harsh with its penalties.