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This Is Supposed To Be Professional Auto Racing, Isn’t It?
- Updated: June 6, 2011
Charlotte, NC (June 6, 2011) – It used to be a track operator or race promoter would joke they owed NASCAR a couple of extra bucks if a fight broke out during one of its race events. These days, a fight or altercation just seems to be a part of the program.
The latest NASCAR pugilistic encounter came Saturday when team owner Richard Childress attacked driver Kyle Busch in the garage area at Kansas Speedway. By all accounts, it wasn’t much of a fight, but the latest incident has furthered recent garage whispers that NASCAR has lost control of its sport.
“Richard Childress’ actions were not appropriate and fell far short of the standard we expect,” stated NASCAR’s Mike Helton prior to Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway.
From our spot in the garage area, there seems to be a lot of questions as to what those ‘standards’ are these days. The new NASCAR on-track mantra of ‘boys have at it” has created several messy racing incidents and now, the edict has boiled over into physical altercations on pit road and in the garage area in recent weeks.
Should we be surprised at this?
Not really. If you tell people it’s up to them to take care of their issues, they are going to do it. That’s not much of a standard to begin with and admonishing people after the fact is like throwing the barn doors open and later wondering why the horses ran away.
Bottom line – this has gone past the level of far enough. Nobody – including NASCAR – wants to see any of its participants in the hospital or jail.
To that end, NASCAR needs to redefine the level of professionalism – or ‘standards’ – it requires of its participants and make that information known in the clearest terms available. If that means replacing meaningless fines and probations with suspensions being handed out to the bad actors, so be it. It’s obvious when you have people attacking each other in the garage area that it is time to a strong message to all in the sport that the behaviors we have seen this season will no longer be tolerated.
After all, this is supposed to be ‘professional’ auto racing, isn’t it?
John Close covered his first NASCAR race in 1986 at Bristol. Since then, Close – a former Associated Press newspaper sports editor – has written countless articles for numerous motorsports magazines, trade publications and Internet sites.
His Close Calls column appears each week on www.CloseFinishes.com, www.MotorsportsAmerica.com and www.RacingNation.com.
Close has also authored two books – Tony Stewart – From Indy Phenom To NASCAR Superstar and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – From Desert Dust To Superspeedways.
Close is a weekly guest every Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern on Tradin’ Paint on NASCAR SIRIUS Channel 90.
You can follow John Close on Twitter @CloseFinishes and on Facebook at John Close.
Be sure to visit John’s website – www.closefinishes.com