By KEVIN HARRIS
Kevin.Harris@newsandtribune.com
>>SOUTHERN INDIANA — All week, the finger has been primarily pointed at Carl Edwards for him causing the late accident last Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway that sent Brad Keselowski into the fence — roof-first.
But I do not solely blame Edwards for the wreck that cost him only a love tap on the wrist, which was a measly three weeks of double-secret NASCAR probation.
Along with Edwards, I’m pointing my special foam finger on two other parties.
Without further ado, let the blame game begin:
BLAME EDWARDS
Obviously.
He is the one that sent Roger Penske’s new aggressive and arrogant driver into a scary tumble that would make all the rides at Kings Island seem like strolls in the park.
I know Edwards was mad and he had every right to be after Keselowski ruined his day last Sunday by putting him and Joey Logano into the wall early in the race.
I know Edwards was not only standing up for himself, but for his owner, his crew chief, his car chief, his pit crew and all the guys who put countless hours into building his race car.
If I was in his shoes, I would be mad and looking for revenge, too.
I believe there is a time and place for anything. But Edwards picked the wrong place to get his revenge.
When Edwards wrecked Keselowski, the timing was definitely perfect. Keselowski was on his way to a possible top-five finish and Edwards wanted nothing more than to even the score.
But Atlanta is not the track to avenge an incident, especially when the speeds reach in excess of 190 miles per hour.
Edwards needed to wait for a track where the speeds are much slower to inflict payback.
BLAME KESELOWSKI
Well, the kid DID have it coming. I mean he has hit everything but the concession stand since he started driving in the Nationwide Series.
And Edwards is not the only feathers that Keselowski has ruffled.
Take Denny Hamlin, for instance.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver traded lots of paint with Keselowski in several Nationwide races last season. The last time these two rivals got together was in the 2009 Nationwide season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway when Hamlin sent Keselowski spinning down the main straightaway to avenge an incident between the two in the prior race.
Fortunately for Keselowski, his car sustained minimal damage that time.
Another belief I have is some drivers deserve to be paid back and Keselowski should have been expecting a payback boot after being too aggressive way too early.
But I’m sure he didn’t expect to have a payback wreck, where he could have ended up a vegetable or in a fatal state. Did this incident teach Keselowski a lesson?
Hopefully.
BLAME NASCAR
Prior to the start of the season, NASCAR officials said that they were going to let the drivers handle altercations with their peers their way.
It was just going to be like the good old days when drivers would settle disagreements with either their cars or their fists.
When I found out that NASCAR was going to do this, I thought it would be like the Pentagon giving the Taliban a million hand grenades and letting them throw them at any part of the United States that it wanted.
In other words, NASCAR’s new policy had the potential of inflicting chaos and it came to fruition last Sunday.
Drivers are different than they were 25-30 years ago. They are younger, more aggressive and more concerned about not hurting the reputation of their sponsors. They don’t have enough experience or maturity to deal with these situations.
Plus back in the day, drivers would usually settle their differences on short tracks where the speeds were slower and racers were less likely to get seriously injured.
Now, most of the races take place on mile-and-a-half to two-mile speedways where speeds are much higher.
The younger drivers who NASCAR deals with now need structure, rules and harsher penalties.
It is not like in the series’ golden era when veteran drivers like Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt handled confrontations. Sure, they would get mad at each other. But they would not take it to the extreme and try to paralyze or even kill somebody at a high-speed track.
If NASCAR wants to use old-school methods to settle disputes, then set up a steel cage in the garage area and have the feuding drivers beat each other up until the last man is left standing.
If that’s not the answer, then set stricter guidelines. It’s as simple as that.
GLOTZBACH TO COMPETE AT BRISTOL
Sellersburg resident and former NASCAR Cup driver Charlie Glotzbach will compete against several of his old foes in next Saturday’s Scotts EZ Seed Showdown at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
The field consists of several former NASCAR drivers like Yarborough, David Pearson and Harry Gant. The race will be a 35-lap event prior to the Nationwide race.
Glotzbach won four races and 12 poles during his Cup career. His last victory came at Bristol in July 1971 when he won the race in a record speed of 101.074 mph. That record still stands today.
WHINER OF THE WEEK
YOU: If you are sitting in your chair right now reading this and whining about no race predictions this week, then there is a perfectly good explanation for that — there is no race today.
NASCAR decided to give the Cup teams a weekend off along with the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.
So stop your whining, watch some college basketball (hopefully, you will root against those stupid Wildcats and their sleazy coach) and cheer up because racing will be back next week.
Go (Vandy or Mississippi State)!
Contact Kevin Harris at kevin.harris@newsandtribune.com.
