This season in some silly attempt to hype the series NASC
AR announced that they were putting the control back in the drivers hands. NASCAR tried to distance themselves as the hand of justice or the law.
NASCAR said it numerous times leading up to Daytona and it was all you heard as the series headed to California. The drivers are in control, the drivers are the law.
Well the results are in and without question NASCAR has failed this one . Blame Carl Edwards if you want, blame Brad Keselowski for being an aggressive driver that had it coming. Do whatever but it’s clear to me that this one is on NASCAR’s hands as much as anyone else.
Edwards and Keselowski have a rich history of crashes most notably last years race at Talladega where Keselowski sent Edwards’ car airborne as he took home his first career win. The two later tangled in the Nationwide Series again with Edwards being wrecked out of the event.
It’s not just Edwards that has felt the pain of being wrecked by Keselo wski. Denny Hamlin and Keselowski had a feud that highlighted the Nationwide Series last year. In the end Hamlin, who was tired of being ran into by Keselowski, exacted revenge by intentionally wrecking Keselowski in the final race of the year. It wasn’t just that Hamlin wrecked him. It’s that he said the week before he was going to. The result was no response by NASCAR as if the sanctioning body realized they had a problem but was hoping that by Hamlin getting revenge he problem would go away.
Edwards didn’t exactly say he was sorry Sunday night. Posting the following on his Facebook. Judging by the over 5,000 people who have clicked like it’s a popular sentiment on the digital side of NAS CAR.
Carl Edwards My options: Considering that Brad wrecks me
with no regard for anyones safety or hard work, should I: A-Keep letting him wreck me? B-Confront him after the race? C-Wait til bristol and collect other cars? or D-Take care of it now? I want to be clear that I was surprised at his flight and very relieved when he walked aw…ay. Every person has to decide what code they want to live by and hopefully this explains mine.
Edwards and Hamlin aren’t the only two drivers in NASC AR with a dislike for Keselowski so one has to think that sooner or later (had Edwards not retaliated) that someone was going to put him in the wall. It just happened to be Edwards and Keselowski’s Dodge just happened to go airborne.
For what it’s worth I don’t think NASCAR can do much to Carl Edwards. They advocated this driving style leading up to Atlanta. They failed to take any action in the Nationwide dispute between Keselowski and Hamlin last season and while they publicly say they dislike these showings on the track they know that nothing gets ratings or fans interest like a good ole’ feud.
How many times in the remaining 32 races do you think that the 12 and 99 car will be next to each other? I bet it’s more then one and that my friend that sells tickets and advertising time. Quite well might I add. Think about it this way. How many more people turned in to see Brett Favre versus the Packers then Brett Favre versus the Bears? They wanted to see if Brett would take a big dump on the Packers logo at half field, not if Brett was going to throw touchdowns against a second rate defense.
NASCAR made their bed. They have to lye in it now. They can fine Edwards and I think everyone will think that is just . They can’t take Edwards out of his car, at Bristol nonetheless, and expect people to be happy. Edwards has big time sponsors behind him and huge fan support (a fair portion gained on Sunday) so parking him for a Sprint Cup race is not he answer.
A Nationwide race would be another story. It would really hamper his chances to win the Nationwide title this year should he miss the next event, an event that’s ratings won’t be too effected whether Edwards and the 60 car is on the track or not.
NASCAR knows as well as anyone else that there’s an off week coming up and cooler heads will prevail during that time. They also know that the hunger of their fans is to see Edwards and Keselowski on the track at Bristol beating and banging.
