In an article for the Los Angeles Times, Jim Peltz asks “Would NASCAR suspend a driver, even for one race, to deter others from doctoring their cars?”
While NASCAR has hinted at the idea, they have yet to levy such a penalty. Peltz contends that “there seems to be a double standard at work.”
Although the driver is docked points and incurs fines, they’re allowed to race the next week. Imagine if they weren’t.
He writes, “Much of NASCAR’s popularity is built on the individual popularity — and brand recognition — of its drivers. Some fans drive hundreds of miles to see their favorite driver. Or consider the corporate sponsors.” Could you imagine “all their sales pitches and other hospitality events planned for a race were negated because the driver had been sent home?”
Ha. Maybe if they were sent home they wouldn’t cheat the next time. I bet all it would take is one or two of those penalties to deter other drivers from doing it. I would even advocate for going a step further and, after kicking the driver out for a week, subjecting him to increased inspections for a period of time. A pattern of problems could jeopardize their corporate sponsorship.
Agreed. They’d probably just find new ways to cheat though