Make The Whole Team Sit!!

By Mark Young

The verdict is in, NASCAR has matched previous penalties regarding COT infractions and now the #24 and #48 teams will have new crew chiefs for the next six races.  I applaud NASCAR for finally showing some consistency with handing down rulings but this time it shouldn't have been consistent.  If Chad Knaus was being judged by a court of law he would be sent up the river for a long time as a repeat offender.  The only way to get through to some of these guys is to sit the whole team.

Chad Knaus has a rap sheet longer than my kids' Christmas list, that is no secret.  I heard on Sirius this morning that he has gotten busted eight times (not confirmed) and this is his second suspension in two years.  $100,000 is chump change for these teams and in reality 100 points means nothing because they get wiped clean when the Chase starts.  If NASCAR wants to make a statement then they should hit them hard and make them sit at least one race.

Bending the rules is part of the history of the sport and I don't want to lose that.....to an extent.  Things that are extreme like twisted bodies, tweaked fenders, trick shocks, and modified spoiler brackets that go beyond the limits of NASCAR's "Thou Shalt Not Cheat" mandate must be handled swiftly and with severe consequences.  The guys that find little improvements and advancements that are still within the "gray area" and get caught should suffer as well but at a smaller scale proportionate to the penalty.

I would hate to see a driver who likely didn't know about the violation or wasn't involved with the decision to do it be punished but that is what it is going to take.  Let an owner explain to a high-profile sponsor about why they are getting such negative media attention and we will see an end to extreme violations of the rules.

That's what I think, what say you?