One is that retaliation, no matter how satisfying, can be costly.
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But Kenseth’s actions have created the most noise, and clearly didn’t sit well with NASCAR brass. The punishment rarely fits the crime – except in the eyes of the law.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth has been suspended or the next two series events by the sanctioning body for intentionally wrecking Joey Logano during Sunday’s series event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
The appeal from Matt Kenseth and Joe Gibbs Racing for his two-race Sprint Cup suspension has been scheduled with the National Motorsports Appeals Panel at 9 a.m. Thursday in Concord, N.C.
What are the NASCAR rules when it comes to wrecking another driver on objective?
What of this weekend in Texas Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon get into it while running inside of the top-10 and one of them wrecks the other on goal? As much as I love and respect the sport, there is no doubt that NASCAR has room to be more consistent on calls in the sport, especially on penalties. Rulings in similar cases often are ignored.
In a sport that rewards consistency, NASCAR is the sport’s least consistent entity. And it needed to be stopped before it’s prized possession, the winner-take-all race for the title at Homestead, got swamped in a pile of filthy snow. In the case involving Kenseth and Logano, it also could affect Logano’s chances to win the championship.
As stated, Charlotte produced plenty of action in the middle Contender Round a year ago, and then Texas followed with its own fireworks during the middle race in the Eliminator Round with Gordon and Keselowski engaged in an all-out, post-race brawl. That would have sent a clear message that it doesn’t matter if you’re a race contender/Chase contender/leader or a back marker laps down to the leaders fighting for 20-something or 30-something place, if you intentionally wreck someone with the intent to end their day, you’re going to be the one suspended… not them. Coupled with his results at Talladega the following week, Kenseth’s championship dream died. It marked the third consecutive Chase race to have a significant incident. It irked Kenseth, and he responded with a move that many drivers would applaud as he righted the wrong done to him at Kansas.
And even if NASCAR wanted to punish Harvick, there’s no easy cleanup.
“We don’t want that to happen again”, NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France had said earlier on Tuesday. Arbitrary and inconsistent decisions are a bone of contention for both competitors and fans and cast NASCAR in a poor light. It was good, hard racing the way everyone appreciates. Us versus them is paradoxically skewed in favor of the minority in this equation. Now, that I got the news out of the way, let’s get to this opinion thing I have been giving lately.
Sure, Kenseth’s act had massive playoff implications for Logano.
“Everybody knew something was coming”, Kahne said.
Kenseth apparently made more friends by taking out Logano at Martinsville. The newly launched Lexus F Performance Racing entry will only compete in a few unspecified events for 2016, ahead of a full sports auto racing schedule with a multi-vehicle effort for the 2017-2018 season. It now seems to be, “boys, we’ve had it”.
Here’s the rub. NASCAR drivers have always self-policed this sort of thing. “The fact that I’ve already raced there is going to be a big advantage, and the fact that our trucks are better, I think we have a really good shot at a top-five finish, if not a win on Friday night”. Do it without repercussions.
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NASCAR instituted its unwritten “boys, have at it” code in 2010, allowing drivers to settle differences amongst themselves with minimal intervention from competition officials. Jeff Gordon spun Clint Bowyer at Phoenix in 2012, and received only a $100,000 fine and a 25-point deduction.
