[NASCAR] 2013 Season Discussion

[kals]

Bottom post of the previous page:

I've mentioned it in years past that I find it odd that NASCAR has continued to allow teams and drivers to have many minor technical infractions. Johnson and Knaus are a case in point. Whereby they've been found to be slightly outside the regulations on so many ocassions that the minor penalties they've received have made little to now difference to the gain they make. $10,000 penalty? $50,000? 50 point deduction? Pah! Chicken feed compared to securing chase spots, wins or titles.

That's my point.

Big infractions deserve big penalties, but only it seems in this case the gravity of the event has far overtaken the infraction committed. Why is race 26 any different to someone doing something identical in race 25, or 24, or 15, or any other? Every race carries an equal weighting of importance for the overall goal... a chase spot.

Like I said before, kudos for having the balls to penalise someone for potential intent. But it has clearly now set an improper precedent. Good luck to NASCAR trying to police and deal with all this mess moving forward.

[erwin greven]

In an interview this week Michael Waltrip said that cheating in a team to get a teammate a bonus point is something that is going on the whole season. The leading a lap bonus point for example. That can make a difference of being in the chase or outside.

[kals]

Someone causing an intentional yellow is nothing new either. NASCAR do it themselves for instance.

[SBan83]

Big infractions deserve big penalties, but only it seems in this case the gravity of the event has far overtaken the infraction committed. Why is race 26 any different to someone doing something identical in race 25, or 24, or 15, or any other? Every race carries an equal weighting of importance for the overall goal... a chase spot.

Only by race 26 are all the scenarios crystal clear and the consequences of your actions that much more final and lasting, as we saw. So teams and drivers are held to a higher standard. Until then, there's always the next race to see how things shake out. For example, MWR might have thought in race 25 that Truex could pull off a win in race 26. It's the same way in the final race of the Chase. Non-contenders try extra hard to make life easy for the contenders at Homestead.

[DaleJuniorFan]

BREAKING: Jeff Gordon added to the Chase as a "wild card" 13th driver; Penske Racing and Front Row Motorsports on probation for the rest of the year.

[kals]

Awesome...

So #1 ruling... NASCAR says that if you "cheat", you'll be punished
And #2 ruling... NASCAR says that if you "cheat", you'll be just fine

What am I missing here?

[Ian-S]

What was I saying about faces fitting?

[kals]

Face sitting?

[SBan83]

Mario seems to think it's a good move.

Mario Andretti
Hats off to @NASCAR for adding @JeffGordonWeb to the Chase. The right thing to do!

[erwin greven]

http://draftingthecircuits.whoobazoo.co ... antoroski/

[erwin greven]

NASCAR has added a new rule, 12-4L. Here it is in its entirety:

"NASCAR requires its competitors to race at 100 percent of their ability with the goal of achieving their best possible finishing position in an event. Any competitor who takes action with the intent to artificially alter the finishing positions of the event or encourages, persuades or induces others to artificially alter the finishing position of the event shall be subject to a penalty from NASCAR. Such penalties may include but are limited to disqualification and/or loss of finishing points and/or fines and/or loss of points and/or suspension and/or probation to any and all members of the teams, including any beneficiaries of the prohibited actions.
"'Artificially altered' shall be defined as actions by any competitor that show or suggest that the competitor did not race at 100 percent of their ability for the purpose of changing finishing positions in the event at NASCAR's sole discretion."

[DaleJuniorFan]

I know their aiming the message at the team orders controversy, but doesn't the wording make it sound like their taking a jab at the "start & parks" as well?

Sounds like the restart procedure will change as well starting tommorow. Supposedly, the flagman will control the restart instead of the race leader.

[erwin greven]

One journalist asked in particular about the starts and parks. They are not pointing towards S&P-teams.

Imho: The have to do something about S&P teams. I respect the smaller teams, but sometimes they block participating teams by qualify a bit faster, while some teams who are outqualified want to run the whole race.

This Dollar General 300 Nationwide race had within a lap of 30 three S&P-ers.

[erwin greven]

CHASE: Race 1/10:Chicagoland

Heavy rain after 110 laps. Matt Kenseth leading.

[Antonov]

apparently this was quite a good race.

[erwin greven]

Actualy it was. Not sensational, but there were some interesting parts.

Race Rewind:
Sprint Cup Chase: 1/10 Chicagoland.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/pla ... 4312079001