March 18, 2012
By Kim Roberson
Kim Roberson
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How much do you need to know about the rules of a sport to truly be a fan?
That question has been posed a lot recently -- primarily as the result of the discussion of the rules infractions of Chad Knaus, crew chief for the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. The reason for the question: how does a fan know exactly what rules are up for discussion if they can’t get their hands on a copy of the rules book?
Some fans have been crying out for “absolute transparency” within NASCAR. They should be able to know every single thing that goes on, from the team to the sanctioning body, in order to make sure that “nothing questionable” is going on. These same fans claim that without the transparency there is enough doubt to make NASCAR “like the WWE” -- questionable in integrity and outcome.
One such debate played out on Facebook Friday. Here is a small exerpt. (Spelling and mistakes corrected)
“We are the paying customers, we have a say and why should we settle for anything other than transparency in all they do. We deserve that,” was the comment from M. Mitchell (aka Submarine Mike) of Jacksonville, Fl.
“I pay to watch a race, not to have my nose stuck up NASCAR's backside wanting to know every little detail. Just because we buy a ticket it doesn't mean we are entitled to know every little thing that goes on!” was the response of C. Stroman of Lansing, MI.
“Sorry you're wrong, there are enough fans unhappy with NASCAR's secretiveness that if they lose them there wont be enough people paying to watch a race,” replied Mitchell.
“You have the numbers to back that up. Or is a few making a lot of noise?” asked Stroman.
“I am using the amount of conspiracy calls on (SiriusXM NASCAR) radio compared to what I hear on NFL /NHL/NBA radio about 10/1 NASCAR conspiracy calls. Add in what I see on twitter and the fact that regular sport shows like (ESPN's) Around the Horn (and) Pardon the Interruption -- make FUN of NASCAR and compare them to WWE. The secrecy is hurting the sport,” argued Mike.
He went on a bit later to say “It's not about NEED... It's about NASCAR proving to the naysayers they are NOT hiding anything. That we do deserve. You can say all you want but there are so many now that think NASCAR is shady that by proving they aren't it can only be good. So what if some folks become rulebook lawyers, we already have that almost every day on (SiriusXM NASCAR) radio. At least if rulebook was public NASCAR could PROVE them wrong instead of saying ‘it’s our call period you’re not smart enough to understand'.”
I think part of the problem is that many fans see the NASCAR Rules Book as this huge tome that covers every nook and cranny of every possibility of the sport. It really isn’t anything remotely close to it. I actually had my very first up-close and personal encounter with the storied rules book at Daytona a few weeks ago. To be honest, it is more like a small, pocket-sized handbook that is very technical, and while it makes complete sense to a NASCAR crew chief or car chief, it is very hard for the general fan like me to decipher.
I am pretty sure that it would *not* make the sport as transparent as many feel it would, and would only result in opening a Pandora’s Box of “fan interpretation”, which, in my mind, would be even worse than trying to figure out NASCAR Officials interpretation.
Another thing to keep in mind is that when NASCAR hands out a penalty, they lay out the exact wording of the infraction as stated in the rules book. They don’t give you a rule number and no explanation of the rule being used -- they give you the rule number, the wording of the rule, and what part of the car was breaking the rule. The rule isn’t spelled out any differently in the book than it is in any press release handed out by NASCAR.
All you need to do is complete a Google search to get a long list of some of the most frequently used NASCAR rules. Here are just a few, if you want to jot them down for future reference:
Rules section 12-4-A: actions detrimental to stock car racing;
Rules section 12-4-J: Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the Race Equipment used in the Event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the NASCAR Rule Book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the Event
Rules section 12-4-Q: Car, car parts, components and/or equipment that do not conform to NASCAR rules
Rules section 20B-10.4G: Unapproved transmission gear ratio between 1.00:1 and 1.28:1 will not be permitted. Transmission contained unapproved third gear ratio of 1.15:1
Rules section 20-12.8.1B: Body height requirements: car failed to meet the minimum front car heights
Rules section 20-2.1(E): If in the judgment of NASCAR Officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance, will not be permitted: Unapproved car body modifications.
Rules section 20-3.2.1A: Unapproved modification to an approved windshield
Rules section 20-5.5.4A: Oil pan, failure to submit component
And for those wanting to know about pit road penalties, here are just a few:
Rules section 9-15D: Speeding - Entering pits results in the car must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow
Rules section 9-15C: All passing on pit road must be to the outside on entry results in the car must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow
Rules section 9-15C: Driving thru more than 3 pit boxes results in the car must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow
Rules section 9-15E: Crewmember(s) over the wall too soon results in the car must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow
Rules section 9-15F: Car/truck pitting out of the assigned pit box results in the car/truck losing 1 lap
Rules section 9-15G: Use of extension poles are limited/not self-illuminated results in the car must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow
Rules section 9-15H: Too many crewmember(s) in contact with pit service area results in the car must pass through pits under green; Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow
Rules section 9-15H: Crewmember(s) returning from equipment side of wall results in the driver must pass through pits under green or Restart at the tail of the field if under yellow
I, for one, am not sure why allowing every fan to see the NASCAR rules book should be a necessity. I have been a fan of a lot of sports in my many years of life, and not once did I need to sit with a rules book to be able to enjoy what I was watching. I think providing the rules book to fans would actually provide less transparency and add more confusion as fans tried to figure out how to apply the rules in the book to what they were seeing on the track.
If you absolutely *must* have a rules book, here are a few suggestions:
Go on ebay. There are several for sale there, including one cool one from 1950. However, if you take a look at the pictures, you will see that they are indeed just a small handbook meant to fit in the back pocket of a crew or car chief and not the all answering, all enlightening book of your dreams.
If that doesn’t work, join a NASCAR team as a mechanic. Then, you will have to become more familiar with that little book than you ever wanted to be.
Buy a race team. Then you will really get sick of that little book and all of its rules.
Finally, just forget the book, and sit back and enjoy the racing. Let the teams and officials worry about the rules. That is what they get paid for.
You, as a fan, don’t pay to read a book, you pay to watch a race. And if you don’t agree with a ruling or a penalty, guess what? You are only joining a legion of fans dating back more than 60 years who have at one time or other, also not had a rules book in their hands and not agreed with a penalty -- but survived to enjoy racing another day.
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