It wouldn't have been surprising to wake up this morning and read that an angry mob with pitchforks and torches showed up outside Carl Edwards' house in Missouri last night.
The outrage from NASCAR fans was that obvious and tangible after Edwards intentionally wrecked Brad Keselowski in a revenge move on Sunday at Atlanta, sending Keselowski airborne in a crash that could have killed the driver, fans or both.
It drew an immediate and emotional reaction from many people.
Carl is INSANE! That was ATTEMPTED MURDER! Suspend him for a week. Hell, FOREVER!
Now, the onus falls on NASCAR to make a decision. Should officials suspend Edwards? Take away points? Fine him?
Here's my opinion: NASCAR should not – and cannot – punish Edwards further.
Edwards was parked for the rest of Sunday's race after the incident, which was both appropriate and necessary. Any time a driver uses his car to intentionally wreck another competitor, it deserves a penalty.
But no further action should be taken. Why? Because though the wreck looked spectacular and horrifying and was certainly dangerous, Edwards' intention was not to send the car flying.
Edwards simply wanted to pull a Denny Hamlin. Remember Hamlin?
At Homestead last year, Hamlin not only vowed revenge on Keselowski for earlier incidents, but carried it out. He wrecked him during the race, and was roundly applauded for it.
The Hamlin/Keselowski incident, fans said and media wrote, was exactly what the sport needed. More rivalries. More action. More drama.
People said NASCAR needed to loosen the reins and let the drivers drive and let the garage police itself.
NASCAR listened, and agreed. Have at it, boys.
Remember?
Edwards felt the need for payback on Sunday. Whether that was valid logic or not, I'm not sure – but it's also beside the point. In Edwards' mind, he needed to even the score, and that's what NASCAR and everyone else has been asking the drivers to do.
So when Edwards saw an opportunity to spin Keselowski and ruin his day, he pulled up alongside the No. 12 car's rear bumper, turned his steering wheel to the right and – oops – suddenly the car was in the air, upside down, crashing on its roof.
Scary. Terrifying. Stomach-churning.
The wreck was absolutely intentional, but the consequences were not. Drivers don't expect these cars to flip – particularly at an intermediate track – but for some reason (The wing? The design of the COT in general?) they get upside-down more than they should.
Again, that wasn't Edwards' intent. He was trying to be Denny, Part II. If it had worked, fans in the stands and at home likely would have cheered.
Right on, Carl! Way to pay Brad back for the times he's wrecked you! He had it coming!
Instead, it's the opposite.
Shame on you, Carl! You're a monster! You don't belong on the track!
NASCAR's Robin Pemberton indicated yesterday that officials won't let the severity of the wreck impact their decision – they'll look at how it started. And really, that's the best way the sanctioning body can rule.
Plus, NASCAR's hands are tied. Officials would look like total hypocrites if, after pleading with the drivers to be more aggressive and show more personality and police themselves, NASCAR fines and suspends the first driver who tries to take matters into his own hands.
Look, would Edwards have been smarter to wait until Bristol if he wanted payback? Of course. Would it have been better if the drivers fought in the garage after the race instead of using cars traveling at 195 mph? Yes.
Would I feel the same way about Edwards' actions if it resulted in a serious injury or death? I've asked myself that question several times, but honestly, I'd have to say yes.
I don't want to see anyone get hurt. I don't want to see cars get airborne. And I'd much prefer to see drivers go at it off the track than on it.
But retaliation has always been a part of racing. Edwards retaliated and was punished for it, and officials met with him afterward to explain why he needed to be more careful next time.
And really, that's all that can and should be done.
No suspension. No points. No fines. No probation. Nothing.
This is racing, and no one ever said it wasn't dangerous. Have at it, boys.
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NASCAR Gives Carl Edwards A Wrist-Slap, No Suspension
Carl Edwards has been placed on probation for three Sprint Cup races, but there will be no suspension, NASCAR President Mike Helton announced this afternoon.
Edwards intentionally spun Brad Keselowski in a retaliatory move late in Sunday’s race, and NASCAR parked him for the remainder of the event.
But Edwards will not lose any points or miss any events, Helton said.
Helton said he spoke to Edwards after the race and the driver understood his actions went beyond the “Have at it” policy which encouraged drivers to police themselves.
“There is a line you can cross, and we’ll step in to maintain law and order when we think that line is crossed,” Helton said.
While there's no written policy as to when retaliation goes too far, Helton said NASCAR officials know when they need to step in.
"We see it when we see it," he said. "There's obviously been an evolution of a relationship between these two drivers."
Helton said NASCAR will meet with both drivers and their owners prior to the Bristol race to make sure Edwards and Keselowski talk out their differences and come to a better understanding before they hit the track again.
"If there's a rivalry that goes beyond that racing, then they need to figure out how to manage that before we get involved," he said.
Helton said aside from Edwards' actions, NASCAR's bigger concern was keeping the cars on the ground. He said officials were perplexed as to why it happened.
"The 12 car getting airborne is a much more serious topic to us right now," Helton said. "It's been years since we've seen that [at a 1.5-mile track]. A lot of our effort is figuring out how that happened, why that happened and to prevent it from happening in the future."
Mar 09 12:42p by Jeff Gluck - 6 comments