The Problem with NASCAR Spelled out.....

[skool]

http://www.frontstretch.com/jmeyer/7425/

Seemed to generate lots of comments on the site! Spout your opinion!

[racin_girl72]

I liked it when I read it last night.  As always, a gem on FS!

But I had a question if NASCAR isn't officiating then who would?  Wouldn't any crew, even if they were new inspectors/officials etc. still be paid by NASCAR?

I'm not dogging your opinion, it makes total sense.  But that little question came to mind.

[skool]

It would be no different than the NFL, the very organization The Big BF tries to emulate.

You may have an independant Officials union that contract with NASCAR, but not 3 or four guys from the front office that sit up in a booth and make all the calls.

You don't see the commisioner of the NFL or anyone from the 'office' making calls on the field. You have a rule book, you give it to trained officials and say, "these are the rules, make the calls"

Yes, there are bad calls made in the NFL but by and large you just had to live with the decision. Now, with the advent of technology and instant replay, that has been cut down somewhat and there is no reason that instant replay cannot be used in NASCAR as well for certain situations.

Whatever. Bottom line is that it is just not kosher the way it is run now. Especially when the ones enforcing the rules also own most of the tracks (ISC) and the marketing company (Brand Sense) that convinces the big sponsors to invest in NASCAR. You will never convince me that there is not a conflict of interest of major proportions in NASCAR.

And the really sad things is, NASCAR does not NEED to create all the hassle that situations like Sunday's created. They already are reaping the mega mega mega bucks from everything else, right down to the food (Americrowne)and the souveniers (the name escapes me at the moment).

They just simply REFUSE to give up ANY control and in the process are totally destroying the credibility of NASCAR for the sake of PROFIT.

[racin_girl72]

Ok, that makes sense.  I was just thinking that any officials would somehow be on the NASCAR payroll, but I get your point by it not being the "big guys" up there.

[flamehothead]

I thought it was a GREAT article. Now PLEASE don't Hang Me but I do want to say something.

Why does it seem that SOME of the J.Johnson fans complain about the Ghost Debris Cautions but then when Nascar GIVES J.Johnson a Free Pass on a Penality thay think were Johnson Haters. I think everyone knows that I do NOT like Hendrick Motorsports and I have also wondered about certain cautions that are thrown but what happened at Vegas was right out in the open and everyone could clearly see the tire was out of there Pit Stall. I don't have a problem with the Official stopping the tire because it could damage another car or worse, It could hurt someone on Pit Road. The problem is that the tire was somewhere it shouldn't have been and ANY other team WOULD have been Penalized for it so IMO it should have been a Penality.

[Tyyrus]

Great Article , The Decision according to Nascar was based upon , the fact that the Tire was eventually retrieved by a crew member prior to the car leaving the Pit Box. Horse Pucky..the fact remains without the intervention of the Official , the Tire would by all accounts have been outside the Pit box prior to the Car leaving the Pit Box...and a crew member would not have retrieved it in time.Therefore a penalty should apply anytime a Offcial has to intervene , due to Safety Related Infractions..Baby !   

[FS_Amy]

I thought it was a GREAT article. Now PLEASE don't Hang Me but I do want to say something.

Why does it seem that SOME of the J.Johnson fans complain about the Ghost Debris Cautions but then when Nascar GIVES J.Johnson a Free Pass on a Penality thay think were Johnson Haters. I think everyone knows that I do NOT like Hendrick Motorsports and I have also wondered about certain cautions that are thrown but what happened at Vegas was right out in the open and everyone could clearly see the tire was out of there Pit Stall. I don't have a problem with the Official stopping the tire because it could damage another car or worse, It could hurt someone on Pit Road. The problem is that the tire was somewhere it shouldn't have been and ANY other team WOULD have been Penalized for it so IMO it should have been a Penality.

Not true.  Officials stop tires ALL THE TIME!  Watch all the televised pit stops from any race and chances are, you'll see it at least once.  An official stopped a tire for Junior at California last fall that would clearly have rolled onto the racing surface.  Who was screaming for a penalty then?  This is a weekly occurrence and was only made a big deal of when it happened to the 48 team.  Actually, even if the official had not caught the tire, there would be no penalty unless the car left the pit box.

[skool]

The point of my article is...................and a lot of people just cant seem to get over the JJ thing.....

INDEPENDANT officials are needed to make the calls.  The whole situation could go down the very same way, and a penalty may very well have NOT been called. However, if it was called (or not called) by someone other than the people that OWN the game, we would all just live with it and the whole conspiracy thing would be out the window.

With NASCAR owning everything associated with every aspect of the sport, they, ESPECIALLY they, need to avoid the VERY APPEARANCE of any type of favoritism or minipulation of the outcome of a race.

If NASCAR were to simply give up the officiating to impartial, independant staff, the re-establishment of CREDIBILITY to the sport would be immeasurable.

It is the ONLY WAY the sport will survive. NASCAR could own everything for all I care, just as long as the race is FAIR and impartial and may the best man win.

[Tyyrus]

The point of my article is...................and a lot of people just cant seem to get over the JJ thing.....

INDEPENDANT officials are needed to make the calls.  The whole situation could go down the very same way, and a penalty may very well have NOT been called. However, if it was called (or not called) by someone other than the people that OWN the game, we would all just live with it and the whole conspiracy thing would be out the window.

With NASCAR owning everything associated with every aspect of the sport, they, ESPECIALLY they, need to avoid the VERY APPEARANCE of any type of favoritism or minipulation of the outcome of a race.

If NASCAR were to simply give up the officiating to impartial, independant staff, the re-establishment of CREDIBILITY to the sport would be immeasurable.

It is the ONLY WAY the sport will survive. NASCAR could own everything for all I care, just as long as the race is FAIR and impartial and may the best man win.

I agree 100%...Bro !  But Don't Hold your Breath...Eh !

[falcon325]

I agree 100%...Bro !  But Don't Hold your Breath...Eh !

Yeah, me too.  Get some striped zebras out there with a clear rulebook and make it consistent and fair for all competitors.

[flamehothead]

Not true.  Officials stop tires ALL THE TIME!  Watch all the televised pit stops from any race and chances are, you'll see it at least once.  An official stopped a tire for Junior at California last fall that would clearly have rolled onto the racing surface.  Who was screaming for a penalty then?  This is a weekly occurrence and was only made a big deal of when it happened to the 48 team.  Actually, even if the official had not caught the tire, there would be no penalty unless the car left the pit box.

Ok, Your right BUT. When the Officials do stop a teams tire they stop it BEFORE it goes out of the Pit Box, Not after. That is my WHOLE point. I honestly don't see a problem with an Official stopping a loose tire regardless if its in or out of the Pit Box but if it is out of the Pit Box THEN he stops it, thats when it is a Penality.

[TheFrontstretch]

This isn't what the article was about, but let me interject on this one point.

It's a safety issue. I've heard John Darby talk on this 100 times if I've heard him talk on it once.  If the tire is stopped from rolling out on the pit road surface by anyone and the tire is returned to the inside of the pit box before the car leaves the pit box, then it's no penalty.  If an official can stop the tire, they WILL stop the tire, thereby averting a potential hazard, and they won't penalize the team because the official has then become part of the process of the pit stop instead of just being an observer. It's consistent, clear and fair to the competitors.

Imagine this scenario, a tire gets loose in the pit box, a crew member is going for it, but the official stops it first.  If the rule is that every time an official has to stop a tire, the team is penalized, then your hurting some innocent teams because perhaps, the crewman could have retrieved the tire without outside intervention.  At least with the policy of NOT penalizing the team when the official stops a tire, they are erring on the side of the competitor.  It's the Blackstone principle in action.  "Better that ten guilty persons escape, than one innocent suffer."   I don't think Blackstone was an ardent NASCAR fan though.