May 6, 2012
By Kim Roberson
Kim Roberson
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This week has brought out another round of the “black helicopter” folks -- the ones who are sure as the day they were born that NASCAR hand picks the winners of races and will do whatever is needed to make sure they win the race.
Phantom debris, questionable penalties, allegedly turning a blind eye to dubious practices -- it seems like a lot of this was brought up after last weekend’s race in Richmond.
Of course, it doesn’t help when some of the sport’s top drivers, including last year’s Champion, are vocal about whether they feel they have been wronged.
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet, noted at the end of the race last week that he felt that the debris caution cost him the chance to win the race, was nothing more than a water bottle.
“Well, when the caution is for a plastic (water) bottle on the backstretch, it’s hard to feel good about losing that one, I mean. And we gave it away on pit road. So we did everything we could to throw it away; it got taken away from us,” he commented after the race last Saturday night. “"We got ------ we lost it on a plastic bottle on the backstretch. For a caution for a plastic bottle, so you tell me how you'd feel."
This week, he was asked again about the fact that the debris has actually been identified as a piece of metal, which was collected by track safety officials.
“They picked it up. They know what it is. It looked like a bottle to me. But, the end result is the same thing. It still cost us an opportunity. It still cost us a win,” Stewart noted. “The good thing is, no matter what it is on the race track. You can’t have a race car hit anything, then have it go into the stands and hurt somebody. You (know) that they did what they needed to do, but you just hate the timing of it. And, you hate that it even happened in the first place.”
The other main issue of last weekend that had fans in a tizzy was the penalty on Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford. On the second to last re-start on lap 81, it was deemed that Edwards had jumped the restart. Edwards and his crew chief, Bob Osborn, both claimed they were in the top spot on that restart, and both were quite vocal both on the radio in the closing laps of the race -- and after the race about the fact they felt they had been seriously wronged.
After the race, both Edwards and Osborn were called in to meet with Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's director of competition, who explained what had happened and why they weren’t in a position to be the team to restart the race as they had.
After the meeting, Edwards was asked by the media how the discussion with Pemberton went. "They run the sport and they do the best job they can, and I drive a race car and do the very best job I can. I'd rather not say what was said in there. This whole thing is very frustrating. I don't feel like we did the wrong thing."
After a few days to review the video and see what had happened for himself, Edwards had a slightly different view on the end result.
“For me personally when something like that happens I have been working on doing just what I did," Edwards explained this weekend in Talladega when discussing his comments last week. "I gave my honest assessment of what I thought happened and how I felt about it. I spoke with NASCAR and came to the conclusion that those actions are all that I can take. “
That doesn’t mean he is happy about the end result. It just means he has to move on and get over it. “That is it. There is nothing else that I can do. I am satisfied with that personally that I did everything I could do and that is that.”
While fans couldn’t have done much about the issue that Edwards faced, there is often an outcry that when there is a debris caution called on the track, television cameras should show the debris, regardless how big or small. Despite Stewart’s initial reaction to the debris caution last weekend, after having time to think and calm down, he says he knows that NASCAR only has the drivers, and fans, best interests in mind.
“I think NASCAR has done a really good job in the last year or so of making sure if there is a debris caution, it’s not just a mystery caution. There is something out there that they are picking up,” Stewart noted when asked about the debris issue this weekend. “I’ve got the trust in them that when they throw the debris caution that there is something out there. The big thing is you don’t want something to be out there and it get hit by a race car and it goes in the stands and hit somebody or hurt somebody. They have pretty good eyes around the race track to make sure that there’s not stuff laying out there.”
Regardless of what the drivers’ say, there will always be fans who think they are just providing lip service, and that NASCAR is still messing with the outcomes of races.
A few fans discussed the issue on Facebook this week, and I thought I’d share a few of their comments.
“Look at the C post debacle (on the No. 48 car). How can you have faith in a system that penalizes something that is never in competition?” was Clay Thomas’ question.
“The sport needs to have credibility too. Sometimes the debris gets blown away before it can be picked up. We as fans have to have some faith that the official can make the call without our help. If they can show the track worker pick up the debris, great! If not oh well. Move on to the next thing on the agenda,” noted Glen Post.
Randy Ritchie disagrees. “They did last weekend so Tony wouldn't run away with it like he would have, that's the only reason Kyle's won 4 in a row at RIR otherwise it would only be three in a row so yes NASCAR has their favorites and throw cautions to fix races. Wouldn't be shocked one bit if they pull that crap on SUNDAY so JR. can win at EARNHARDT COUNTRY.”
“If NASCAR is so bad and plant debris, why in hell are you all watching it?” asked James Donald Garber. “(I’ll) be dam if I watch a sport where I don’t believe in them -- People come on here and say my NASCAR is a bad sport. That where I get fired up. I can’t understand where NASCAR can gain anything for planting debris.”
What do you think? Do you think NASCAR makes up cautions, or is everything above-board? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to e-mail me, or drop me a line on Twitter to share your thoughts!
Follow Kim on Twitter: @ksrgatorfn
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