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June 08, 2007
Does The Punishment Fit The Crime?
By Mark Young
Well the official word came down this morning. Kurt Busch will NOT sit out any races for his actions at Dover this past Monday. He has received a 100 point deduction and must pay a $100,000 fine. Along with that he has been placed on probation until December 31st. My post yesterday created quite a stir regarding Kurt and whether or not he should be suspended. Does this penalty fit the crime?
U WANT SOME?
If anything I will say that NASCAR at least has been consistent with their enalties. DEI faced a harsh penalty after Darlington when the #8 team got caught with improper parts on their COT. 100 points and $100K plus a six race suspension then was considered harsh but this penalty today is along the same lines as the Darlington ruling.
We have been screaming for NASCAR to be consistent, I think this time they have been.
What do you think?
June 8, 2007 | Permalink
Comments
He should of been arrested
Posted by: skeeter341 | Jun 8, 2007 9:33:49 AM
NA$CAR has become a joke.
Can't wait to hear Elf boy rationalsize why he did it and how much he learned.
Maybe Paris Hilton needs to become the drivers rep in NA$CAR, seems privlage goes along way for her and the drivers.
Posted by: Tony | Jun 8, 2007 9:40:06 AM
You have got to be kidding! An appropriate start would have been to erase all traces of Kurt Busch and the car from existence in Dover. No driver, owner, qualifying points nothing. As is he and the team never even showed up at the track.
Then, if he wants to race in NASCAR again, have him spend one race with the officials and gain experience from their side of the fence. Not a Truck or Busch race. The series where the penalty occurred and he wants to compete in.
Then we can talk about number of race suspensions and double secret probation.
Posted by: Rick | Jun 8, 2007 9:51:33 AM
Unbelievable. This is the standard fine for anything. Kurt's actions deserved at least one race on the bench.
Posted by: Don | Jun 8, 2007 9:56:03 AM
He should have sat for a race. If the sponsor got p***ed off that would get the driver in line. Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards should have sat a race when they spun drivers out on pit road too. I don't care how angry you are, pit road is where crew members and officials are unprotected by a ton of cage. That and the garage area need to be sacred.
Posted by: Kurt Smith | Jun 8, 2007 10:01:41 AM
Don
I agree 100% that Kurt should have been parked for at least one race, along with the 100 points and $100,000. I think what he did is as bad as what Tony Eury Jr supposedly did. Kurt put a crewman's life in danger, could have either killed him or injured him for life.
Posted by: Marilyn | Jun 8, 2007 10:03:15 AM
Amazing!!! A couple years ago, KH gets parked from a Cup race for "reckless driving" in a Truck race the week prior. But, KB does something in my mind that is a 100 times worse and he doesn't get parked?!?!? What the heck is up with that. I am getting sick and tired of the crap that NA$CAR continues to pull. Busch Baby should have been parked for this weekend as well. Perhaps F1 needs another fan?
Posted by: Former Fan? | Jun 8, 2007 10:05:51 AM
You are right; they've been consistent with this one.
Hopefully the team now will work with Kurt (remember the year Stewart made the turnaround with the help of his team and owner). Too bad Nascar can't make "anger management" sessions a requirement in certain penalty situations. Or can they?
The Busch boys have the must-win energy and intensity to make them great drivers. That kind of emotional energy needs to be controlled, though. We've seen Kyle improve with the help of his team. In other team sports, those who "play dirty" sometimes have the unspoken encouragement of coaches and peers. Owners and coaches are ultimately those responsible for player behavior.
Different teams have different value systems. We have the Nascar formality. It remains to be seen what (if anything) the (#2) team does now.
Posted by: wyldwing | Jun 8, 2007 10:07:52 AM
I'm a Kurt Busch fan and I think that he should have sat a race. However, this is a much harsher fine that drivers who've taken their quarrels to pit road have had before so its probably in line with Nascar's new schedule of penalties.
Nascar really needs to drive home the fact that drivers WILL NOT take their quarrels to pit road. I hope this does the job, but I think that a 1-race suspension would have been more appropriate.
Posted by: M. B. Voelker | Jun 8, 2007 10:08:56 AM
I'm with you Former Fan?. He should have been parked. What Busch did, compared to Harvick, is much worse. Doesn't make any sense what so ever.
Posted by: bradp22 | Jun 8, 2007 10:09:42 AM
This is a slap on the wrist!!!! I'm outraged that he only has to pay a fine and lose points and probation!!!! What Kurt Busch did was ten times worse then putting illegal parts on a car. He almost hit a crewman on pit road due to his temper. If that crewman did not have the quick reflexes to jump onto the hood, he could have been injured or killed!!!!! I think he should be parked for at least a couple of races and have anger management classes. His road rage is inexcusable and these penalties show that NASCAR is not as concerned with safety as they claim to be!!!
Posted by: Jessie | Jun 8, 2007 10:11:12 AM
And by the way, how is this consistent? Running into a car on pit road and endangering a crewmember, compared to an unapproved bracket???? You're kidding yourself if you thing this is consistent.
Posted by: bradp22 | Jun 8, 2007 10:11:33 AM
So having improper wing brackets on the car, and nearly running over a member of the pit crew carry the almost the same weight with NA$CAR. You've got to be kidding
Posted by: alsize | Jun 8, 2007 10:13:34 AM
Mark,
I think the probation is good, 2X's the points and 200K in dollars. NASCAR fines are stupid. It's not like the drivers pay them. I would have liked the sit down but I guess this sets the NASCAR Std. BTW, Miller-Lite does have a website...just search on Miller-Lite. Contact them...I did.
Posted by: Keith | Jun 8, 2007 10:18:24 AM
You have got to be kidding! An appropriate start would have been to erase all traces of Kurt Busch and the car from existence in Dover. No driver, owner, qualifying points nothing. As is he and the team never even showed up at the track.
Then, if he wants to race in NASCAR again, have him spend one race with the officials and gain experience from their side of the fence. Not a Truck or Busch race. The series where the penalty occurred and he wants to compete in.
Then we can talk about number of race suspensions and double secret probation.
Posted by: Rick | Jun 8, 2007 10:25:37 AM
Dear NASCAR,
I look upon you, sirs, as men who have placed themselves beyond the pale of society, by this most audacious, disgraceful, and abominable public conduct. Good day to you - I said Good Day!
Posted by: Saulispaul | Jun 8, 2007 10:32:37 AM
Interesting. NASCAR will suspend a crew chief for a COT violation but KB is racing this weekend.
Great message NASCAR is sending. Messing with the COT is not tolerated but endangering a crew man during a tantrum is not a problem. I wonder if the penalty would have been different if KB almost ran over a NASCAR official.
Posted by: scm_pa | Jun 8, 2007 10:34:04 AM
People who are trying to equate behavior penalties and equipment violations are severely confused. Nascar has always kept the 2 categories separate.
In any sport CHEATING is the worst thing conceivable because when the participants circumvent the rules of the sport itself the sport cannot exist at all. Behavioral issues, even hazardous ones, come and go and a participant who racks up too many of them will be removed but the sport will go on. Cheating is punished the most harshly because cheating destroys the sport itself.
And, yes, the 8 team was cheating with the illegal wing mounts however much you Jr-worshipers want to believe that Jr is an angel and all things that touch him are 100% pure. Because if they weren't cheating they are completely incompentant and I think better of them than that.
Kurt has now been punished more harshly than anyone has been punished for such an incident before (Harvick's suspension came as the culmination of a series of events when he was already on probation for previous incidents of dangerous agression and had been defiant of Nascar's authority).
Its possible to argue sanely and rationally that the standard penalty for carrying a driver quarrel to pit road should be even harsher, but what I am seeing isn't sane, rational arguments -- its just emotional ranting out of pure hatred and bile.
Posted by: M. B. Voelker | Jun 8, 2007 10:39:36 AM
The punishment is consistent. Not appropriate, but consistent.
Worse things have happened on pit road with less severe penalties. If you want to see NASCAR get serious, they need to publish a list of penalties for specific infractions.
Intentionally hitting someone on pit road should carry a 5 race suspension for the first offence, a 15 race suspension for the second, and a lifetime ban the third.
Intentionally stopping anywhere but in your pit box on pit road should carry a penalty. Rough driving should carry a penalty... but they all should be documented.
This trend of escalating penalties over time is not working, as you never know what the possible penalty might be next time.
Posted by: Paul | Jun 8, 2007 11:00:41 AM
Miller Lite how do you like ears now!
Posted by: jake | Jun 8, 2007 11:08:50 AM
LOL, raise your hands, how many think that both Paris and Busch will violate their paroles?
Posted by: Keith | Jun 8, 2007 11:18:27 AM
Yes this is consistant and fair. However now is the time to change the rules not after an insident. It has happend before and Nascar has been consistant. From this point forward every driver team and owner should be given clear written rules as to exceptable behavior on pit road.From this point forward any retaliation should be clearly made a parkable offence. NO EXCEPTIONS. Making examples of drivers based on popularity is flat out wrong especially if done after an altercation. Hate Busch I dont care, hate Stewart I dont care. Both are champions in this sport and you have to pass a lot of cars along the way to get there. How you do it can be fun for the fans and frustrating for competitors. Competitors need to get over it becasue they are making millions from everyday people.
If anyone thinks that Tonys past anger management classes have changed him you need to rethink how you view television. The only thing different is what and how he says something to reporters. Sending Busch to those classes will only produce the same result. With all the incar audio and video available to Nascar and reporters these issues can be shown for what they are. instead the average fan has to accept or reject a reporters story based an who they root for. Facts not withstanding. If a teacher does nothing while two students continuously annoy each other but when one finally blows a gasket. reprimands the one defending themself. A good amount of fault should lie the the teacher or Nascar in this instance. Having previously ignored the issue has brought you the new one. Understand that Nascar is nothing more than a prepackaged product and what is shown changes constantly but part of the draw is to allow a certain amount of controversy. without passion no one watches. Nascar understands this and if you dont you need an education in how to understand what is really being shown to you. Enjoy it for what it is, a product that has been manipulated to attract as many masses as possible and not a "pure" sport. Now go and change the rules while you not in the middle of a race!
Posted by: Bob | Jun 8, 2007 11:21:43 AM
Mr. or Ms. Volker, how long have you been a NASCAR fan? I've only been into the sport for a couple of years and I know that one of the traditions is cheating to varying degrees. I's sure it's fun to see what you can get away with. Remember Darlington? Sure, if you get caught, you pay the penalty and try to be smarter next time. But nobody gets hurt. They may be out money, and a lot of it, but in the grand scheme of NASCAR dollars, it's pennies.
Lighten up and have some fun.
Posted by: bookedprinted | Jun 8, 2007 11:33:38 AM
If NASCAR had any credibility left, it's gone now. No rhyme or reason to this other than the Captain and big long time sponsor.
Brian France greatly exceeded his abilities when he left Tucson Raceway, and Mike Helton ought to be doing the hamburgers under the bleachers in Tucson.
Posted by: Caesar001 | Jun 8, 2007 11:41:34 AM
Keith
We know it's going to happen.We just need the over/under!LO
Posted by: Short Lady | Jun 8, 2007 11:43:21 AM
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