June 12, 2007
By Brian Watkins

Brian Watkins

Some weeks, this job is harder than others. Some weeks I struggle to find something unique or interesting in the world of NNCS racing to write about. But this week, NASCAR has once again made it all too easy due to their inane penalty distribution and seeming lack of common sense and consistency.

What’s bugging me this week? NASCAR’s boilerplate 100k fine, 100 point penalty. Add something secret and naughty to your fuel, you get the 100 & 100. Mess with the wing on your COT racer? 100 & 100. Intentionally display a level of immaturity and lack of control that could have easily killed someone? 100 & 100.

Back in Daytona, the penalty was unheard of, but given the implications of blatant cheating during qualifying for the Superbowl of motorsports, it seemed to not only be fitting, but also seemingly ushered in a new era of NASCAR finally laying down the hammer and ending cheating.

When it was levied against the No. 8 team for altering the brackets on the rear wing that seemed to provide no advantage what-so-ever, it was past over-kill. And now, after nearly a week of waiting to find out what was going to happen to Kurt Busch, we get the surprise of all surprises… 100 & 100. Well, if they’re nothing else, NASCAR is consistently inconsistent.

I wish someone could explain to me how nearly killing someone in a school-boy fit, deserves anything less than suspension from at least one if not more races. How is tinkering with a car part that would cause no possible injury to anyone, earn the same penalty as a driver who could have seriously injured or even killed jackman Jason Lee?

How in the same conversation with reporters that he announced the “penalty” can Robin Pemberton utter the obviously laughable comment that NASCAR’s highest priority is the safety of everyone in the pits?

Please.

NASCAR’s highest priority is NASCAR. If they were concerned primarily with safety in the pits, Busch would be spending the next two Sundays in the same place Michael Waltrip had been sitting until last Sunday… his living room.

The idea that a simple points deduction and fine is penalty enough for a level of reckless behavior as yet unseen this season equates to safer pits is ridiculous. Adding to the stupidity of the penalty is the fact that NASCAR, in its infinite wisdom, docked Penske racing 100 owner points. Yes, that will help Penske racing drive home the point that what Busch did was a big no-no and it hurt the team.

However, the team had nothing to do with Busch’s stupidity. That was all him.

To put things in a perspective, NASCAR might better understand, instead of weighing the penalty against how much they stand to lose financially had Busch been suspended, they need to look at how much criminally negligent homicide charges against Busch would have damaged NASCAR. Even if they don’t consider the human factor of a life almost ended, they should easily identify with the financial loss and black eye that NASCAR would have received had Jason Lee not jumped on the hood. It was his quick reaction that saved his life, and possibly saved NASCAR. They should give the 100K they get from the fine to Lee. If not, he should file suit against Busch. I’m normally not a litigious minded person, but in this case I feel it’s more than justified. Busch almost killed someone and NASCAR simply issued its new slap on the wrist.

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.