Posted on 03/09/2010 10:33:51 AM PST by Salo
NASCAR places Edwards on three-race probation More concerned that 12 car flipped on a 1.5-mile track
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
March 9, 2010
01:12 PM EST
NASCAR president Mike Helton on Tuesday announced Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards has been placed on probation for the next three Sprint Cup races as a result of Edwards intentionally wrecking Brad Keselowski this past Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Helton said the decision came "after meeting and discussing the events Sunday evening, all day Monday and [Tuesday] morning." Helton added that an additional meeting "that was still being set" would be arranged between NASCAR officials, team owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske and the two drivers.
Helton added that an additional meeting would be arranged between NASCAR officials, team owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske and the two drivers.
"We feel that will come before the Saturday or Sunday of the Bristol weekend," Helton said.
Helton said the fact that Keselowski's car went airborne at a 1.5-mile track was a bigger issue than Edwards' action.
Helton's participation in a national teleconference was quickly scheduled and announced less than 90 minutes in advance in the aftermath of the vicious accident in the late stages of Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500.
With two laps remaining of the scheduled 325-lap event on the high-speed 1.5-mile track -- where two days before Dale Earnhardt Jr. had clocked the fastest qualifying lap ever recorded by NASCAR's new car, 192.761 mph -- Keselowski's Dodge flipped into the frontstretch fence following contact from Edwards' Ford.
FOX Sports' TV replays showed Edwards' white-gloved hands turning his steering wheel to the right, into the back of Keselowski's car, which caused it to spin backwards. The car then lifted into the air and turned over, striking the top of the fence, upside-down with the driver's-side corner of the windshield "A-post." (watch video)
NASCAR immediately parked Edwards, who had made another lap of the race track after the contact. Upon getting the word on his in-car radio, Edwards drove the wrong way up pit road to turn into the Sprint Cup garage area to park at his hauler.
Keselowski was helped from his car and walked to an ambulance. After being examined in the track's infield care center, Keselowski emerged and promised that actions such as Edwards' would result in injuries to either another driver or to fans.
"To come back and intentionally wreck someone, that's not cool -- you could have killed someone in the grandstands," Keselowski said. "It will be interesting to see how NASCAR reacts to it. They have the ball. If they're going to allow people to intentionally wreck each other at tracks this fast, we will hurt someone either in the cars or in the grandstands.
"It's not cool to wreck someone intentionally at 195 mph."
After getting out of his car at the track, Edwards didn't deny spinning Keselowski but said flipping the younger driver's car wasn't his intent. Later Sunday evening, in an entry on his Facebook page, Edwards said "his code" dictated that he take action immediately.
Earlier in the race, Edwards and Keselowski's cars made contact when Edwards attempted to move his Roush Fenway Racing Ford from an upper lane to a lower lane already occupied by Keselowski's Penske Racing Dodge.
The contact caused Edwards' car to skitter up the track, where it hit Joey Logano's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, causing both Edwards' and Logano's cars to hit the wall. Edwards spent more than 150 laps in the garage while his crew made repairs. (watch video)
Edwards came back on the track in 41st and could have made up three positions -- and nine championship points -- by running to the end of the race. When he was parked, Edwards ended up 39th and lost the chance to overtake Joe Nemechek, who was already out of the race.
The End
Actually, a better question would have been, what exactly is probation? It sounded to me like he would be out the next three races, but now I realize that may not be the case.
Memo to Carl Edwards: Buy some black gloves.
Kaselowski has earned a visit to the wall so many times already that he could knock it down twice a year, retire a very bruised old man, and still be ahead of the game.
As to Edwards' being "too aggressive" (Eye of Unk) he only had 40 laps to be aggressive in, trying to get to the front. After that he was transporting duct tape around the track.
Shoulda been suspension.
Edwards is a regular on both the Sprint & Nationwide tours. Does this probation affect both his race teams? Seems kinda silly if it only applies to 1 and not the other, particularly given the nature of the offense (rough driving).
Edwards is a regular on both the Sprint & Nationwide tours. Does this probation affect both his race teams? Seems kinda silly if it only applies to 1 and not the other, particularly given the nature of the offense (rough driving).
pardon the double-post...
This goes beyond the consent given by athletes in contacts sports such as boxing, MMA, football, hockey, and NASCAR. WAY beyond. That consent is why athletes aren’t charged with assault and battery in contact sports.
He should be charged with felonoius assault or assault with a deadly weapon.
and rename the car “The Black Swan”
I very surprised NASCAR took the heat for the wing. Pretty much guarantees they’ll be on Ebay soon. (I want one for my birthday - hint-hint)
Do you *really* want the government involved in refereeing sports?
I think that intentionally wrecking someone at 200mph is over the line from “sports.” Plus, what happens if they do wreck and kill someone in the crowd? It’s happened before. So in this case, I’m actually not against govt intervention.
Then again, from what I’ve been reading, this is just the last part of an ongoing mess. They should have dropped a hammer far earlier. Now, it’s almost inevitable that someone will get killed, and the govt will REALLY get involved...
Oh yeah, that's what we need more of. Please, obama, please save us.
Like I told a friend yesterday, Kesalowski , like many new drivers hasn’t figured out how to turn off the aggression and figure out where his front bumper is. However, he did nothing wrong on lap 4. Edwards moved down on him and he was not required to lift. He should have but didn’t have to. That said, at Bristol, little Brad shoudl hit the wall. 40 laps later, as soon as he gets back on the track, he shoudl hit the wall again. At Bristol, not Atlanta. That’s what short tracks are for.
Fox was reporting, several fans were hit by flying parts in the the stands.
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