[Sidponcho]

Do you know what's good for NASCAR? Every thread, every post, every article, every replay, every everything. The sport has seriously become the NASkardashians

[Region Warrior]

Was it the right thing to do? No.
Did I enjoy it? So did everyone else I know that watched it. Even non Gordon fans.
Be something if he takes the championship...

[tom s]

2 race suspension for Matt

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by tom s

2 race suspension for Matt

Why, was he dating a KarDashEin?

[FirebirdHank]

Originally Posted by Sidponcho

The sport has seriously become the NASkardashians

I love it!!!! I will be using that line.

[cuz68]

I think it was a right call.

[Simple Man]

Originally Posted by Sidponcho

Do you know what's good for NASCAR? Every thread, every post, every article, every replay, every everything. The sport has seriously become the NASkardashians

[MikeNoun]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Looking to squash any notion that the drivers are running amok on the track, NASCAR suspended Matt Kenseth for two races Tuesday for intentionally wrecking Joey Logano in an act of retaliation that dramatically changed the lineup of drivers in the running for the championship. The penalty levied against Kenseth is fairly unprecedented. Drivers have been suspended before for on-track actions, but typically only for one race and the policy has not been uniform.

NASCAR said it punished Kenseth because he had no chance at winning and intentionally altered the outcome of Sunday's race. NASCAR also said it factored aspects of safety in penalizing Kenseth as well as ''the fact that the new Chase elimination format puts a premium on each and every race. These actions have no place in NASCAR.''

In addition, Danica Patrick was fined $50,000 and docked 25 points for intentionally wrecking David Gilliland earlier in the race.

[The Champ]

So now we have two classes of racers on the track.

This means that there are now eight drivers on the track that are "untouchable".

I for one, don't like this "new" policy. If this was the "policy", NASCAR should have announced it before the Chase started.

I long for the original format without the "playoffs".

JMHO - feel free to tell me how wrong I am.

(As I suspected, the Princess did not get the same penalty, even though her transgression was equally deliberate and she did it not once, but twice)

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by cuz68

I think it was a right call.

But likely worth it, especially if it costs Logano a chance at the championship.

[Sirrotica]

Ricky Craven's (last driver to win in NASCAR with a Pontiac, 2004) very interesting take on the Kenseth penalty.

http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup...030132/nascar-
matt-kenseth-gave-joey-logano-payback-sunday-good-bad

Jeff Hammond's and Brad Keslowski's on Race Hub show, very good points about NASCAR's inconsistent penalties in similar incidents.

http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/stor...int-cup-110315

Your going to have to watch 5 minutes or so on each of these segments. However I watched them and I feel the insight gained from people that have been involved in NASCAR at the participation level as well as BK's points from someone who is currently involved are eye opening.

My take is they came down hard on Kenseth, which was needed for his actions Sunday. Jeff Hammond's point is if your going to have penalties they need to be spelled out on paper, not imposed after the fact by a board sitting in a room by people that for the most part have never been in the role as a driver.

I believe the fines were not a main deterrent for people that make millions of dollars a year. Probation really is a meaningless punishment also, so they skipped that and are making the driver do one of the hardest things that any driver has to do, and that is to sit out a race/races.

Now the penalties need to be spelled out so everyone knows where NASCAR's line is, and if you cross it you already know what's in store for you. The vagueness in this area is what causes the huge uproar amongst participants as well as fans.

Craven talks about driver codes, BK says all drivers have their own code so unless the rules spell it out they don't know if their own code is going to get them parked, until the ruling comes down from the golden chamber of Tuesday.

All good points, however we all know who owns the sandbox, and that if they feel you did something they don't like they can kick you and your toys out of their sandbox.

[The Champ]

This reaction by NASCAR reminds me of the NFL. They appear to be making it up as they go along - just like Roger Goodell.

No player in the NFL had ever been suspended for an equipment violation (that they actually committed) - and Roger attempted to suspend Tom Brady - even though the NFL's own legal council admitted that they had absolutely zero proof that Brady did anything.

I fully believe that Matt drove Joey into the wall. But Joey initiated the contact, Kenseth just allowed the contact to continue into the wall.

All Joey had to do was make sure he was clear before dropping down to the lower groove. He had the faster car, he just needed to use a little patience and not force the issue with a driver that he KNEW had an issue with him.

Arrogance and or ignorance was a major contributing factor to this altercation.

I'd still like to see NASCAR review the games that Joey and Brad were playing to manipulate the restarts that led to Kenseth getting wrecked on a restart.

Back when MWR was caught manipulating the finish of a Chase race a couple years ago it cost MWR big time.
*****************************

Boss...

And I'm sure to Kenseth - even if the suspension stands - he'd do it again.

[Sirrotica]

There are quite a few camera vantage points that show the Sunday altercation. The one from looking head on shows Kensth crowding Logano towards the wall. The side view shows Kenseth pounded the gas as Logano starts his line into the turn.

Logano needed to start turning in, Kenseth had no need to turn in because he knew he wasn't going to turn this time around and was going straight towards the wall, wide open. Logano wasn't going to be able to make the corner if he gave Kenseth a wider berth. To put it simply he was running out of real estate, Kenseth knew full well what he was doing and had calculated it before he executed it.

Much has been said about Logano not giving Kenseth more room when he passed him, I feel no matter how much room he gave him he was going to be booted by Kenseth, it was pretty much inevitable. Joey had to make his cut into the turn, Kenseth was going to use the 22 as his brakes against the wall, he never braked until he knew he had the 22 on a collision course.

Good video on how retaliation on the race track can end up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euJirZOzpi4

[The Champ]

Link is for a USRA B mod race.

I've watched the video of the wreck many times - with Joey's spotter telling him constantly that he wasn't clear.

Evidently his spotter and I agree on this one...

[Region Warrior]

NASCAR officials need to quit the knee jerk reactions.

[MikeNoun]

Here ya go NASCAR fans, the radio chatter from Martinsville in a 6-minute high quality video.

Pretty interesting comments from Danica, it's no wonder she was fined. If you're looking to retaliate against another driver, don't announce it over the radio (duh?). Also interesting to hear the spotters and crew chiefs comments. Lots of foul language here, but it's been bleeped for broadcast. Probably the wildest race I've seen in recent years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-LfZaQpKmc

Mike

[tom s]

Actually Matt has been saying since Kansas it was coming,premeditated for sure.Tom

[John V.]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

There are quite a few camera vantage points that show the Sunday altercation. The one from looking head on shows Kensth crowding Logano towards the wall. The side view shows Kenseth pounded the gas as Logano starts his line into the turn.

I was gonna post the same thing yesterday but decided to delete it. I agree with you 100%.

Also, add that Kenseth clearly moved out to Logano's rear quarter right before the start/finish line and stayed there. Kenseth was the one giving no room, pinned Logano against the wall.

What the spotter was saying was meaningless. Kenseth was moments away from making premeditated contact. By the time he says "still down there" a 2nd or 3rd time Kenseth was already shoving him toward the wall.

Logano gave plenty of room to Kenseth, he was well above the inside line that Kenseth could have taken if he wanted to run 2 wide.

As Brad says, at some point Logano has to brake hard, slow, and turn or put himself into the wall and/or get freight trained by Gordon and the others running the inside while he slowed enough to negotiate that turn up against the wall. Kenseth simply was gonna pile drive him no matter what move he makes, no need for Kenseth's brakes or steering wheel at that point.

Ask yourself this, if Kenseth drives into that turn and does everything exactly as he did it, except there is no other car there, does Kenseth negotiate the turn or does he smack the wall? I think the answer is obvious.

The "tire went down" story was obviously premeditated as his crew chief was quick to radio that bit of hokum. Did it EVER go down? Not that I could see, even AFTER the incident ended. Clearly bogus and the ONLY way Kenseth could explain why his car went straight toward the wall when he SHOULD have been initiating his own turn, hard on the brakes and turning left.

I don't root for Kenseth or Logano one way or the other, I root for the 24 and was happy he didn't get caught up in it and got the win.

I didn't know about the KC incident and had just tuned in AFTER the prior restart incident so hadn't digested any of that.

When Kenseth pile drove Logano, I couldn't understand why the crowd began to cheer, I figured they weren't THAT happy that Gordon took the lead. And I didn't yet understand why they would cheer the intentional wrecking of Logano.

From my dispassionate view, there was absolutely no doubt what I had witnessed. I just didn't yet know why Kenseth did it.

Made for good entertainment but I had to agree with Logano, CS move. Kenseth had nothing to lose. If you're gonna retaliate like that, you should at least have something to gain and as much to lose as the guy you're wrecking. Kenseth gained nothing except the "satisfaction" of robbing Logano of a win.

The Champ, I agree with you on the 2 classes of racers. But I have felt that has been the case since the Chase began. The other drivers are out there just to fill the track.

I like the playoff style format. But how can the other drivers participate? Sure they can race for a win. But knowing they could ruin the championship chances of a Chaser, seems to me they have ALWAYS yielded to the Chasers since that format began. Probably same case when just 2 or 3 drivers entered the last race with a shot. Other drivers were not going to race them the same way they might if a championship wasn't at stake for those few. Or else, the champion pussy footed it just to get the finish he needed without racing for a win.

Maybe the last race should decide the championship, winner take all, with ALL drivers involved. No qualifying, set the grid based on the season points, top 43 get to play. And run it at Daytona 2 weeks after Homestead. That way nobody has to cede anything, all 43 starters have a shot. Wouldn't stop a guy from taking out somebody he didn't want to be champion. But would make the racing more aggressive with a lot more drivers going for the win. Might need to put it on a short track just to reduce the danger.

Probably wouldn't work any better than what they have now.

[Alvin]

"Chrome Horn"





Photo 22 of 25 ABOVE | In 1973, carpetbagger Herb Adams ran this slick Pontiac Grand Am at Riverside, where Corvette racer Jerry Thompson wheeled it to a 15th Place finish, and at Daytona (shown here), where the 366ci Poncho V8 blew one of its trick head gaskets in qualifying. In the 80s there would be Pontiac-, Olds-, and Buick-bodied cars in NASCAR, but they used Chevy-based, GM corporate V8s.

[The Boss]

We know Matt did it, we know he likely considered the consequences that gave him a 2 race suspension.

At Kansas we know Joey did it, but that was racing. That gave him a win.

We know Danica did it, hell she talked about it enough before hand, that gave her a 50k fine.

NASCAR at it's finest - & yes, just like the NFL, but they both got what they wanted, attention, viewers, ratings & money. Ain't that what it's all about anyways?