While NASCAR drivers figure out how much license they have to play rough on their oval playground, the ruling elders of NASCAR take a rather lax approach to letting them know.
What I assumed, when NASCAR made its "have at 'em" pronouncements in January, was basically that the officials had decided to "let 'em play." The way it works in basketball, right? No more rinky-dink fouls.
It's one of the more common remarks of coaches at courtside.
"Hey! Hey! Let 'em play, will ya?"
Apparently, though, what NASCAR meant was that there would really be no officiating at all. The Sprint Cup Series is like "shirts and skins," with fouls called under some sort of informal honor system.
"Foul!"
"Aw, man, I didn't touch you!"
"Yeah, you did, dummy, 'cause I called a foul."
Once upon a time, NASCAR decided it was too difficult to keep different kinds of cars competitive with one another, so it decided to make the cars all alike. Now NASCAR has decided it's difficult to officiate what goes on, so it's decided to ... literally ... "have at it" ... and ... "let 'em race."
It's astonishing. It's outrageous. But it's consistent. When NASCAR officials decided they were going to let drivers work their difficulties out among themselves, they weren't kidding. Had Judge Roy Bean, and not Mike Helton, been announcing the decision on Tuesday, he wouldn't have changed many words.
Carl Edwards admitted he used his Ford as a battering ram and turned the Dodge of Brad Keselowski during Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500. The race was probably a success for the sponsor since, within the garage, tools, Kobalt and otherwise, were really important. It was a showcase for the entire tool industry.
He got three weeks' probation, which for the entire time I've written about NASCAR, has been a synonym for "nothing."
Old timers can talk all they want about "the good old days," but if you check the records, the moonshiners of the 1940s and '50s never wrecked nearly as often as the upwardly mobile dandies of today. That's because they needed those old Fords to make a moonshine run down to Chattanooga on Monday night. The drivers of today don't have to fix or pay for what they tear up. It shows.
I am not unsympathetic to Edwards' plight. He, like most men who choose to race automobiles for a living, is excitable, competitive and spirited. At some level, Edwards must have cast himself as Will Kane and Keselowski as Frank Miller. In "High Noon" (1952), Kane was the sheriff left all alone to face Miller, who was out to get him.
Kane, of course, had a badge, at least, when he decided "enough is enough" and took on Miller and his gang. Edwards took the law into his own hands.
Another classic movie, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," defines NASCAR's current view of law enforcement.
"Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!"
Kurt Busch picked up his first win of the season in Atlanta. It was also the second straight win in the spring Atlanta race for the Dodge driver, this time with Steve Addington, his brother's former crew chief. (Photo: John Clark/NASCAR This Week)
At least for now, Kurt Busch has the upper hand in the family.
Kurt and his younger brother, Kyle, are both legitimate stars in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. Kurt won the 2004 (now Sprint, then) Nextel Cup championship, and his second consecutive victory in Atlanta Motor Speedway's Kobalt Tools 500 was the 21st of his career. Kyle, nearly seven years younger, has won 16 times in the sport's premier level.
There's another notable connection. Kurt Busch's crew chief, Steve Addington, was Kyle Busch's crew chief until this season. After Kyle fell short of making the Chase in 2009, Dave Rogers replaced Addington ... and Kurt hired him.
Kurt Busch made the Chase last year, finishing fourth in the final point standings. Crew chief Pat Tryson moved to Team Red Bull and driver Martin Truex Jr. at season's end.
"I'll tell one thing that changed, and it changed for the better," said Kurt. "Steve Addington has taught me how to drive cars differently, how to look at them differently ... When you get 'up on the wheel' for somebody like Steve, good things happen."
"I'm still great friends with Kyle," said Addington, "but it's a good feeling. It's a relief in a certain way."
Kurt Busch said his latest victory was particularly satisfying.
"I feel like we won the race outright," he said. "No doubt we did our job on pit road. No doubt we did our job on long runs, and I think we hit the right combination for restarts. That's what I'm proudest of."
Thanks to NASCAR's new overtime policies and several late crashes, the race ran 16 extra laps. Addington said there was no strategy capable of preparing for such a scenario.
"We tried to keep the balance on our car," he said. "We were good on fuel for all three green-white-checkered restarts, even if we went to (the limit of) three.
"We just stuck with what we'd been doing all day."
But Kurt Busch said this was no time to relax.
"We need to have some more consistency," he said. "We've been competitive in three out of the four races so far, and the race we weren't as competitive as the others was our best finish (before Atlanta).
"That's what a championship team does."
It’s the first off week of the year for NASCAR. None of the top three series are in action this weekend, but TNI keeps trucking along with another Ask The Insiders Wednesday. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Ric:
It’s been said that the haulers carry enough spare parts to build another car. How close is that statement?
Pretty darn close. Haulers carry everything from spare engines and transmissions, to sheet metal and nuts and bolts. And if a part isn’t on the hauler, it could probably be robbed off the backup car. – T.C.
2. From Kevin:
Hey TNI, What are your feelings on the spoiler and the fairness of the mid season change. Do you think teams like RCR are tickled to have it considering they have FINALLY found speed with the winged car. Now to have to go backward essentially and retool your whole fleet of cars, that’s not totally reasonable IMO. Now RCR and other teams will have essentially wasted all that work this offseason and now have to start over.
I think the answer to your question is determinant on whether the spoiler has a big effect on set-ups and the like. We really don’t know what will happen with the change, other than the little bit of testing teams have done. I doubt RCR is thrilled by this move; and it certainly stinks if you’re a team with little or no funding. That said, in my opinion, it will change things, but I don’t think it will change things substantially, so teams like RCR will probably be OK. – Journo
3. From Kenny:
I’m now reading a terrific book, “The Physics of NASCAR.” Reading that the wheels are “toed-in” or “toed-out” makes me wonder, does this alignment (and camber) make your job harder? On a normal consumer car, the four tires are set pointing straight up and down and are set parallel to the centerline of the car.
The toe isn’t usually an issue. Camber does affect the front tire changer and front tire carrier. The right front doesn’t cause any problems, but the left front does. Changers have to get low to see all the lugs, and pretty much angle their pit gun to hit the lugnuts square. The tire carrier must also make an adjustment, so as to get the wheel on the studs squarely. – T.C.
4. From Mike:
I was wondering if you could talk about the orange/white tape or paint that’s on the sides of the Goodyear tires after a pit stop? My guess is that it has something to do with checking the wear pattern…
I wrote a post back in 2008 explaining this exact topic. Find it here. – T.C.
5. From Scott:
Hey Guys, All this talk about ’start and park’ teams got me wondering about racing in general and more specially about cars that are not on the lead lap. I’m wondering how you, the garage, NASCAR, etc would feel about pulling cars off the track that couldn’t mathematically win the race. For example, if a car has an early problem and hits the garage. They do amazing work and repair the vehicle but end up 50 laps down. So when the lap count hits so that there are only 49 laps left that car would have to leave the track. This would lessen the number of cars on the track near the end and potentially decrease yellows or other collision concerns. Thoughts? As always, thanks for the great read! Great job guys!
I think it’s an interesting idea, the problem is, it doesn’t let guys improve their position if they’re able to continue running. Say you’re in 40th 50 laps down and the five cars in front of you are out. Shouldn’t you be able to make up those spots if you’re able? At the point when you can’t win a race, it’s about points and money. If you’re prevented from improving from going back out on track you won’t be able to do that. Plus what if the race goes longer than the prescribed number of laps (through restarts)? Lessening the number of cars won’t necessarily lessen the number of cautions. Toward the end of the race a lot of wrecks occur with lead lap teams. – Journo
6. From Barb:
Why does it appear that most of the Cup drivers are afraid to tangle with Jimmie Johnson on the racetrack? They all seem leery of getting into him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone pull a bump and run on Jimmie during a race. I know why Jeff Gordon doesn’t, (part team owner), but why the others? He needs to be challenged more often.
I think it’s a matter of perception. I can say it’s not something I’ve noticed and after thinking about it do we really see drivers get into other drivers very often? It happens, but I don’t think Jimmie receives special treatment over anyone else. – Journo
7. From Marcus:
I’ve noticed that when a crew member or shop member or driver is penalized for drug use it always says actions detrimental to stock car racing. What does this mean?
It means whatever you want it to mean. At least that’s how NASCAR uses it. Anything that can be construed as damaging to stock car racing can fall into that category. That includes crew members who fail drug tests. – Journo
8. From Lee:
I live in Central Arkansas and noticed about a dozen haulers heading east on I40 om Monday (3/1) afternoon. Obviously, they were coming from Las Vegas. My question is..do the teams have more than one hauler? Were the ones I saw heading back to the shop, and they already have a new one heading to Atlanta for the race this weekend? It seems that it would be hard to get from Las Vegas to Charlotte, unload the car/s from the previous race, load the new cars up and make it to Atlanta for practices.
It takes approximately 36 hours driving time to get from Las Vegas to Charlotte. For west coast trips, most teams run with two truck drivers, that way the truck never stops. So assuming the race is over on Sunday evening, the trucks could be back in Charlotte sometime on Tuesday. Atlanta is only a four hour drive, and Cup teams didn’t park until Thursday. That leaves about a day and a half to restock and reload the haulers. The only time extra haulers are used, is to shuttle cars out west to the actual race haulers. This happens for back to back west coast races, like California-Vegas. – T.C.
9. From Ross:
Wondering your take on this: I was watching Idol last week and they’re running a spot with Carl Edwards talking about Ford. Not only is he not in a race suit but there aren’t even graphics identifying who he is. Now I can see why Ford’s ad people don’t want Edwards wearing a suit with Aflac plastered all over it but is it possible that Carl Edwards is actually recognizable to the average American Idol viewer? If that’s the case, then NASCAR really has come a long way.
I haven’t seen the commercial, but obviously Ford thinks he’s recognizable enough. I’m not sure I’d agree. I can’t say what Carl’s Q-score is, but I would imagine it’s not high. You’d think they would have at least had him in a firesuit, but maybe we’re further along than I thought we were. – Journo
10. From Alex:
2010 mid season changes to the cup cars: spoiler , nose and what else. I have been out of touch for a bit . Never liked the ” WING” or the splitter. What are the proposed changes for 2010 in a nutshell?
The only proposed change right now, is that the wing is being replaced with a spoiler, most likely at Martinsville in a few weeks. NASCAR is also making a small change to the rear quarter panels on the car to help with the new aerodynamics. The noses and splitters will remain unchanged. – T.C.
11. From Savannah:
Hi Guys, Since Brad Keselowski has entered the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, it seems that he has made more enemies than friends. What are the thoughts of the drivers and crew members of Brad? Also, what are your opinions? I found it interesting that Carl Edwards took the action that he did in today’s Atlanta race. Brad definitely needs to learn not to be as aggressive as he has been in some of the past races. Will the Edwards/ Keselowski feud become one for the record books over the next year? Thanks for answering all of the questions. Have a great week off!
There are definitely some veteran drivers who won’t be joining the BK fan club any time soon (see Edwards and Denny Hamlin). While I can’t speak for everyone, I think most see him for what he is. He is a very aggressive, young driver who is looking to make a name for himself and be successful. And en route to being successful, it would appear as though he doesn’t care who he runs over to get there. But what I hope he is learning, is that he can’t get where he wants without at least some respect from his competitors. I appreciate his aggression and know he has talent, but he still has some learning to do. Something tells me that Brad and Carl will steer clear of each other from now on as well. – T.C.
12. From Jeanette:
Journo- I’ve noticed here and there that some of the photographers on pit road and in the garage wear their vests inside out. Is there a reason for this (like some inside joke) or do they just not pay attention when they put them on. Also – what are the numbers for?
If it is I’m not privy to it. I would imagine it’s guys (and gals) not noticing and throwing the vest on. The numbers are there to identify the photographers. – Journo
13. From Marc:
Do extra laps beyond the scheduled distance in green-white-checker finishes, including the yellow-flag laps count for all purposes in races? With the current rule, there can be as many as four extra green-flag laps in addition to as many yellow-flag laps as needed to clear the track. If they count for all purposes, this could change the winner of the bonus for the most laps led and could allow a car that is, for example, 25 laps down to finish ahead of a car that fell out with 20 laps scheduled to go, right?
Yeah, pretty much. If a race goes beyond it’s scheduled distance, the number of total laps run is counted just like if the race had gone the prescribed amount of laps. Now you know why, in many cases, teams work so hard to get their car back on the track after a crash. You never know what might happen. – T.C.
14. From Rob:
Question about pit officials. What are the two officials in white jumpsuits looking at when you are doing your pit stop work? Why are there 2 of them per car? How mant total on pit road? Who pays them? How much do they make? Do you have any good stories about them and things they may have done or not done?
There is one official assigned to each pit. Often times you will see two, because if they are available to do so, they will help each other out. They are watching to make sure we don’t jump from the wall too early, that the car is in the stall correctly, that fueling is done within the rules, and that all the lugnuts are installed, among other things. They are paid by NASCAR, and probably make a reasonable living. And there isn’t enough room in this post to recount those stories. – T.C.
15. From Lost, Just Lost:
Well NASCAR has had their say. I found it interesting. Seems to me that the message was more for Brad than Carl. Carl got a three race probation, what ever that is. Brad got knocked out of a sixth place finish. Am I missing something or was NASCAR sending a bigger message to Brad than to Carl?
Without being a party to NASCAR’s conversations over the last couple of days it’s hard to say. I know there has been some buzz that that might have been NASCAR’s intention, but I think more than anything they’re working off their recent precedent. Consider the Denny Hamlin/Brad Keselowski and Juan Montoya/Tony Stewart incidents at the end of last season as examples of how NASCAR has recently reacted to payback. The punishments haven’t been severe and I think if Brad hadn’t gotten airborne, we probably wouldn’t even be having this conversation. – Journo
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!
Filed under: Carl Edwards, NASCAR Crashes
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HAMPTON, Ga. - What happened at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday was predictable and understandable, but that doesn't mean Carl Edwards shouldn't have to pay some penalty for "dumping" Brad Keselowski near the end of the Kobalt Tools 500.
Why is it understandable? Edwards thought, in the supercharged atmosphere of his cockpit, that Keselowski had it coming. He's not alone in that view. Late last year, Denny Hamlin made no bones about it when he spun out Keselowski. He'd vowed to do it a week earlier.
There were two differences. One was that Keselowski's Dodge turned over at Atlanta Motor Speedway after Edwards' Ford bumped and drove through it. The other was that, unlike Hamlin, Edwards said he was sorry.
Sorry, of course, doesn't cut it, as any number of miscreants could attest.
But there's no need to crucify Edwards, either. He's a racer, not an accountant. The heady experience of roaring around and around, on the edge of out of control, lap after lap, isn't particularly conducive to turning a cheek instead of a fender.
Not every driver takes matters into his own hands, but most have done it, to one extent or another, and every driver has thought seriously about it. The vigilante creed of the Sprint Cup Series is a more dangerous version of the Golden Rule: "Drive unto others as they drive unto you."
One of Edwards' virtues was honesty. He didn't deny that he meant to spin Keselowski out. He denied that he meant for Keselowski to bounce off the wall and turn upside down. I believe him.
But circumstances do count.
Edwards is basically a good guy. A little over-enthused at times, but once again, he is, after all, a racer. Keselowski's also a little over-enthused at times, and he's a newcomer to the Sprint Cup club. A good many members question whether or not he's paid his dues.
In the long run, this will probably benefit both parties. The rivalry will eventually morph into grudging acceptance of each by the other. This may not be a smooth transition, but a transition will occur. It always does. Feuds don't last forever. The one between Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott didn't. The one between Richard Petty and Bobby Allison didn't.
Edwards and Keselowski will have to get along because, ultimately, there's no other practical choice.
Things have been looking down for Jamie McMurray since the Daytona 500. Here he wrecks Martin Truex and Mark Martin in the final stages of the race. (Photo: Associated Press)
- The Carl Edwards-Brad Keselowski feud suggests a serious flaw in NASCAR's recent "let 'em race" policy. Police themselves? Yeah, right.
- Didn't Jamie McMurray win the Daytona 500? Things have gone south ever since.
- Edwards seems to have few defenders in the grandstand or behind microphones. Kyle Petty on Speed: "That's just flagrant. ... They throw people out of basketball games for that. It's called a 'T.' 'Go to the locker room.' We heard a lot over the winter how we were going back to basics. This is not going back to basics, people, I don't care what you say."
- The multiple-overtime finishes are just ... nuts. The drivers can't be expected to stay under control when the rules aren't under control.
- Once again, Junior Nation rose in anticipation, this time after Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a pole. Once again, race day was a disappointment.
- The "official" estimate of the Atlanta crowd was 85,000. As usual, that was obviously high. Reasonable? The view here was 67,000.
- Kevin Harvick, who won Atlanta's Camping World Truck Series race, has finished ninth or better in every Sprint Cup race so far.
- Three drivers - Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle - have finished in the top 10 in all four races to date. That's why they rank first, second and third, respectively, in the point standings.
- Quote to remember, from Harvick after winning the Camping World Truck Series race at AMS: "A lot of the reason we race trucks is to make sure Kyle Busch doesn't win all these races. That's the honest truth."
- Harvick doesn't compete that often in the Truck Series, but, dating back to the 2008 season, he has won five of his past nine races ... and finished in the top five in the other four.
Photo: Getty Images
OK, I guess Kurt Busch was the biggest winner at Atlanta. And Carl Edwards was the big loser.
If Kurt's the biggest, though, honorable mention must go to Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
Had it not been for the rock 'em, sock 'em, Texas cage match between Edwards and Brad Keselowski, a Goodyear official probably would've been called upon to conduct some sort of media briefing regarding tire problems in the Kobalt Tools 500. I know requests were made. I can't be sure from my notes, but I read that at least 12 drivers had tire problems.
Goodyear brought a new compound to AMS, having tested there earlier this year. An inordinate amount of trouble befell the Hendrick Motorsports fleet, which failed to produce a single top-10 finisher after putting six in the top five (with two victories) in the season's first three races.
With five scheduled laps remaining in the race, most of the media were poised to explore a tire controversy.
Then Edwards, who had already been in one crash with Keselowski (and several notable ones in the past), returned the favor a bit crudely and Keselowski's Dodge wound up turning over and sailing through the air.
Tires were then largely forgotten.
NASCAR officials are considering disciplinary action against Edwards (likely announcement or lack of said announcement on Tuesday).
It would probably be appropriate for Goodyear to at least send Edwards a set of tires.
As a diversionary force, Edwards might as well have been the U.S. Cavalry.
Now that Danica is taking a NASCAR hiatus for a few months, can we please get back to talking about the actual competition in the Nationwide Series?
Three races into the season, the top ten in NNS points could be mistaken for the top ten in the Cup Series. Seven of the top ten are Cup drivers, with only Justin Allgaier, Steve Wallace, and Scott Riggs representing the NNS only crowd.
Of the three, Allgaier looks to be strongest challenger to unseat a likely Cup-driving champion. In three starts this season, he has one top five and three top ten finishes. At Las Vegas, Allgaier looked to be a contender for the win before fading late and finishing seventh. He certainly has the backing and the team to get it done, and the knowledge and experience from a solid rookie campaign could push him over the top.
There are also several intriguing new-comers to the series who could surprise and break through for wins. James Buescher, Trevor Bayne, Brian Scott, Colin Braun, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. all could have a say before the season is over. They all have the necessary talent and are all driving in equipment that has won in the recent past. Three races in, Buescher, Bayne, and Scott are all inside the top 20 in points, while Braun and Stenhouse have struggled and will have to dig themselves out of a hole.
Of the three Nationwide only drivers in the top ten, I think the most interesting story is that of Scott Riggs. He was tabbed to pilot the #09 Ford for RAB Racing only a few short weeks before Daytona. Riggs filled the seat that was vacated when John Wes Townley left the team and took his family sponsor to Richard Childress Racing. The RAB team is running without a major sponsor, yet has still found a way to be competitive against fully funded, Cup backed teams. With a little help, this team could be a factor.
It seems unlikely that, with so many Cup drivers in every race, a young driver like Allgaier will be celebrating at Homestead. Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, and Paul Menard are all planning on running the full slate of Nationwide Series races. But like they say, that’s why we run the races.