NASCAR is always one call away from controversy. This is a lesson that has been glaringly apparent over the last couple of weeks. One penalty gets them into trouble, and another doesn’t. Why that is, is really a matter of perspective.
Take today for instance. Clint Bowyer, fresh off his own controversy with NASCAR, was in the lead in the final 20 laps. Somewhere around lap 17 NASCAR threw a caution for debris on the backstretch. Bowyer was understandably not happy. He complained that the debris had been on the track for most of the the run.
Now exactly why NASCAR threw the caution at that moment is something I can’t answer, but the fact is, it didn’t help Clint Bowyer’s cause. Still it’s hard to argue the caution shouldn’t have been thrown. What if, for instance, that debris had gotten blown out onto the racing surface and Tony Stewart (or some other driver in contention) ran it over. It could have cut his tire down (it wouldn’t have been the first time a driver had his tire cut down by debris) and ended his day – and his shot at the championship.
For years drivers have enjoyed screaming about the ‘phantom caution’ or the ‘competition caution’ when it hurt them, while decrying NASCAR for not throwing a caution when they had their day ended because of debris.
From where I sat, the debris on Sunday looked worthy of a caution. Certainly it looked bad given who the leader was, and it’s probable that the piece of debris was on the track for most of that run. That doesn’t mean though that caution shouldn’t have been thrown.
I write this not to say I think NASCAR is right in every situation. I think there are definitely cautions that have been thrown in the not too distant past that are up for debate, but often NASCAR is left with a situation where they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
As the sanctioning body of this sport NASCAR is often forced to make discretionary decisions. They won’t be perfect every time. And in the case of debris what one perceives as bad enough to throw a caution for is in the eye of the beholder.
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