motorsportmania

So what if MWR had just raced it out last Weekend? How many armchair crew chiefs would have been pointing out what they could have done? Would there not have been a question or two asked as to whether or not they were sharp enough to have seen the opportunity?

They made a call and the sky has fallen in and somehow that seems unfair. I’ve already written here about my view that NASCAR meddle with race outcomes on a regular basis and stand by that view. They do what they see right to make the show better (not in my opinion though; I’m a racing purist), but they cheat teams and drivers as well as sponsors.

Oh yes, sponsors. Now I may be being cynical here, but in a situation such as we had last weekend and say a team had left the race to pan out might there not have been a case for a sponsor to question as to why they didn’t make a call when it was plain for anyone to see that they could benefit from it?

MWR have handled themselves with dignity, as has Ryan Newman in his role as unwitting third party, but NASCAR have done themselves no credit and neither have the sponsors who have questioned the team’s judgement. If any of them walk away from the team over this then they will have seen the last of my wallet.

Once again I oppose the Chase. It is just a competition caution on the season and it spoils genuine competition over the full season. Without its influence there would have been no need for what happened at Richmond. Maybe NASCAR should just suspend themselves and let real racers run the series for a year?

Filed under: NASCAR | Tagged: NASCAR, team orders |