One reason for building the Car of Tomorrow was to cut costs; another was to simplify the inspection process. All the cars would fit into a template, and NASCAR would no longer need to adjust the fit multiple times before each race. NASCAR president and CEO Brian France also promised to make the rules clearer, or at least less confusing, in 2008.
So far, the sanctioning body’s new methods are making things more difficult. Along with pre- and post-race scrutiny, there are multiple penalties and fines, and suspensions handed down non-stop, diverting media attention away from racing like never before.
Last season, NASCAR curtailed the rise of COT-rigging teams in the smallest way, issuing harsh penalties for the slightest infraction. Most of the failed inspections were for altered parts and additions that did nothing to improve the car’s performance. Uniformity was in, and there were no exceptions.
There seems to be more ambiguity this year. In Las Vegas, Carl Edwards had a blown tire during a key pit stop in the closing stages of his March 2 victory. Instead of giving Edwards the usual one-lap penalty, NASCAR waived the mishap. A television cameraman interfered with a crew member and caused a wheel to roll into pit lane, where it could have obstructed another pit crew or caused an accident. Edwards was allowed to restart in third position because it was not his crew’s fault, even though the cameraman was where he should have been and he is not responsible for loose gear.
Robby Gordon applied similar logic when his team installed the wrong front bumper cover before the Daytona 500. The prototype nose came straight from the Dodge warehouse, fit the inspection template, never made it to the track, and wouldn’t have helped the No. 7 Dodge go faster. And it wasn’t his fault. However, NASCAR docked 100 points from the driver and 100 from the owner and fined crew chief Frank Kerr for a questionable infraction.
After considering Gordon’s appeal, NASCAR reinstated the driver and owner points, but increased the original fine. Everything was fine, but it wasn’t fine.
In Edwards’ case, there have been numerous instances where rolling tire penalties have been assessed regardless of the cause, leading some to question whether Edwards received special treatment in Las Vegas. If it had been Robby Gordon, would they have sent him to the rear? It’s a fair question.
Edwards won the UAW-Dodge 400 even though his car wasn’t, as it turned out, up to the task. The No. 99 Ford passed post-race inspection according to NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston, but Edwards had 100 driver points deducted because his car’s oil tank cap was missing. An open oil tank allows for better airflow and reduces the normal amount of drag, a decisive advantage during high-speed racing. He was allowed to keep the win, but not his brief lead in the drivers’ standings. If NASCAR had stripped him of his victory in Las Vegas, runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr. would have scored a resounding victory, his first in nearly two years, but an anticlimax without fanfare for the sport’s biggest figure.
In the likely event that Edwards qualifies for the 2008 Chase, he will not earn the 10 bonus points awarded for each win and used to determine Chase ranking order.
NASCAR’s unofficial policy of not reversing wins has been consistent over the years; though Lee Petty was declared by a panel to be the first winner of the Daytona 500 in 1959, three days after Johnny Beauchamp celebrated at Victory Lane. There is previous.
