Carl Edwards Docked 25 Points for Dover Infraction
Tuesday September 25, 2007
NASCAR announced the penalty for Carl Edwards' post-race inspection failure. After winning the Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover International Speedway Carl Edwards' car was found to be too low in the right rear. Carl was docked 25 points which drops him from fourth to sixth in the Chase standings. In addition his crew chief was fined $25,000.
This fine seems about right to me. Being too low in the right rear corner would actually hurt the handling of the car instead of helping. It was not performance enhancing but still the rules are the rules and his car did fail inspection. However even 25 points during the Chase can prove fatal to a driver's Championship dreams. It will be interesting to see how this plays out at the end of the season.
Comments
How do they measure the height? Is it without tires and on a mounting pedestal using the hubs and bolts? If a driver burns-out and blows a tire, the height has now been altered. If they spin their doughnuts into the walls and damage the body, how can it be properly tested. If they blow the engine during the burn-out, it may now pass inspection cause parts are destroyed. Maybe if Carl’s team would have known the adjustment was incorrect, they could have told Biffle to hit a little harder on the rear to have damage like Tony’s car at N.H. had and got thru the inspection process. If on the Dover track, it is proven that it did aid him, fine him. Some say on short tracks a lower rear does help. Others say that it would hurt. Did NASCAR say that is what they determined was the case, that it does aid on a short track? I would like to know the fact, does it or does it not. I don’t want opinions. I want the fact and is that why there is a fine and points deduction.
YAHOOOOO!!!! or just HAHAHAHA
How come everyone else lost 100pts. and $100,000 and lost their crew cheif for 6 races?????
Actually, when Carl won I predicted NASCAR would find something like upside down lock washers securing the rear view mirror. At least they found something legit.
From nascar.com:
A similar infraction occurred at New Hampshire in July, when the cars of Johnny Sauter and Kyle Busch failed to meet minimum height requirements. NASCAR took away 25 points apiece and fined each crew chief $25,000.
Steve, you sure know your NASCAR
I’m with Patrick. Jeff and Jimmy both was docked 100 points ,100,000.00 fine and lost crew chief for 6 races so why not the same punishment for Mr. Goody @ Shoes ???????????????????????????
Jimmy & Jeff fenders were modified giving them a different air flow across the car thus making it faster! It wasn’t a height issue. Big difference.
I didn’t want Edwards to win, but I don’t think the penalty is right. I just can’t see how being too low post-race is something they could control. And if it didn’t help, but hindered him, even more proof they wouldn’t cheat. NASCAR is only consistent when they want to be.
Another stupid idiotic nascar rule that is going to help push nascar into oblivion sooner or later.
First let me say that I have followed nascar for over 25 years. (dating myself). If you will look at the age of the people going to the races you will see that most of them are under 50 years old. NASCAR is just doing what the fans ask for. Either we change with the times or we fade into the past. Now, with that said, I still don’t like what is happening but I guess I will shut up about it & keep watching my sport hoping things will work out in the end. I would love to see an old timers race with D.W., Cale,
Richard & the rest of the oldtimer still living! Wouldn’t that be something! These guys might be able to handle the slower COT!!!
I not sure about this fine. because when u turn into the corner as hard as they do, the springs sometimes do give. and that would lower the car because of a spring. not someone trying to cheat!!!!!!!!
If there is a rebroadcast of the race or if you have it on DVR, watch the end and see what Carl is talking about–the congratulatory taps Biffle gave him would have easily bent the right rear corner–thus lowering it. Before you hms lovers (btw notice I am a jr fan) cast judgement and scream “foul”, look at the facts first not because you hate Ford drivers. The fine was unwarrented because it was a racing caused deal–remember “Jeffy” got off for that reason once before. Besides, just like it was told it would not help the car it would hurt it. Period.
Does anyone know how low is to low? How low was the fender below the regulation height? Was it 1 inch, 2, 3inches, or whatever? I agree somewhat with Mick20, but don’t think we oldtimers should just accept the way nascar is running things. I know they seem to pay attention only to the bottom line and that is very hard to change. Old timers race sounds like a fun race to me.
Here’s the reason NASCAR isnt being leanant to Edwards. They determined the infraction was unintentional unlike the Gordon/Johnson incident at Sonoma where it was quite clear they tried to manipulate their cars Claiming there was a “gray area” NASCAR didnt wanna listen to that bs and ended up suspending the crew cheifs. Same goes for the spoiler mounts at Darlington with Dale Jr.
Mustang65, I can answer the question as how low is low. It’s whatever NASCAR decides at the time. As an old timer from following the races in the 60’s. I feel NASCAR created the COT for one purpose TO CONTROL THE 0UTCOME OF ANY RACE and be able to pre-determine the Champion from the first race of 2008. There really is no room for creativity as with the car’s we both grew up with.
When something is not in Précised or clearly in black and white leaves room for margin!!!! Nascar way of fixing it if it’s in a grey area you should have read our minds and you get fined!!!
NASCAR wants to make sure that this years champ will be a Dodge or Chevy.
You guys are paranoid! There was a rule infraction, Carl got the same penalty that everyone else did with the same infraction. BTW, who says a lower right rear doesn’t help the car? Real world driving – in the ambient temp., humidity, wind direction, barometric pressure, etc. – can never be duplicated in a wind tunnel and physics just don’t apply sometimes; albeit inexplicably. I’ve seen damaged cars that the tunnel and logic said would be hurt and they actually ran better afterward, but why do I have to tell all of you oldtimers this stuff, you’ve seen it too!
Poor Cousin Carl, hey listen 25 points ain’t nothing, the way he’s been running he’ll be right back up there, all you Carl fans I wouldn’t worry if I was you, NASCAR just wants to give them Hendrick guys a fighting chance,but look out cause guess who’s coming? SMOKE
I think it’s a shame that Nascar has all these rules they have to enforce. I wish they would just let em race. I wonder if Nascar gets any of the money from the fines the throw out, that might explain all the rules.
I’m finding tis year that NASCAR has been all over the map when it comes to infractions and penalties. It seems to me that rules, and in particular penalties related to infractions of these rules by drivers and crew chiefs change from race to race. Nascar seems to be tweaking this sport to extremes.
I still don’t know how low his car was. Steve do you know how low the car was?