NASCAR issues slap-on-wrist penalties for Charlotte altercations
" Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
" Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty — involved in post-race incidents
Stewart has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship events through Nov. 12 for violating:
" Section 12-1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
" Section 12-4.9: Behavioral penalty — involved in a post-race incident
"These penalties are about maintaining a safe environment following the race," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR senior vice president, competition and racing development. "We knew that the new Chase format was likely going to raise the intensity level and we want our drivers to continue to be themselves. However, the safety of our drivers, crew members, officials, and workers is paramount and we will react when that safety could be compromised." NASCAR PR
NASCAR on FOX analyst and NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip shares his thoughts on the penalties below:
On whether NASCAR got the penalties right:
Waltrip: "NASCAR sent the right message. It's strong but not too strong. If Brad Keselowski had it to do over again, I'm sure he would do things differently. But matters escalated and things got out of control. As a driver, I have been there after a race and know what it feels like. When it's over with, you wish you hadn't done what you did. Nonetheless, the penalties for Brad were perfect. Most sports today are over-officiated, and that has taken a lot of the excitement out from the game. Our game is a bit different because cars are involved, but the emotion and stress are the same. Keselowski had just run a 500-mile race, and then throw in the fact his whole season could be blowing up before his very eyes because of a bad race — that's a lot of pressure, and sometimes you just snap. We've all had a bit of road rage driving down the highway when a total stranger has made us mad. I understand the Keselowski penalty but maybe not the Stewart penalty. Stewart was minding his own business and probably didn't know what was going on until he saw Keselowski in his rearview mirror. Stewart reacted to someone running into his car unprovoked. It's like being in a bar, minding your own business, and the next thing you know, you're involved in a fight but have no idea how you got caught up in it."
On Tony Stewart being back in the national spotlight:
Waltrip: "For all kinds of reasons, it's unfortunate Stewart got dragged into this. Because of the incident in New York, the media know who Stewart is, saw what happened and jumped to their own conclusions and made judgments. That's unfortunate because Stewart had nothing to do with what happened on Saturday night.
On possibly why NASCAR didn't penalize Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin:
Waltrip: "I thought everybody would get a little penalty, but I guess NASCAR decided Hamlin and Kenseth were more victims than instigators. But Robin Pemberton is a competitor. He and my crew got in a fight in ‘89 at Charlotte, so he has been on both sides of this fence. Mike Helton ran a race track, so he understands the promotion side of the sport. With them, we have a good balance when it comes to enforcement and handing out penalties, so whatever their reasons were for not penalizing Hamlin and Kenseth, I'm sure they weighed all the evidence. I was afraid they'd overdo the penalties, but I think they nailed it."