Should NASCAR allow team orders?

Just when it appeared that NASCAR had dealt with this and was putting the issue to bed it emerged last night that there was radio chatter from the 38 team of David Gilliland supposedly stating that they had been contacted by the 22 team for them to swap places so that Logano could get the extra point he required to ensure he made the Chase. The conversation over the 38’s team radio started with:

"No.38 Spotter: “Hey, the No.22 is requesting that we give him this spot at the end of the race. They said they need it just to make sure that they’re locked in, and they said they’d probably be able to help us in the future with whatever; you know. I’m just running that by you; I didn’t want to run it over the other channel.”"

Jul 13, 2013; Loudon, NH, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Gilliland (38) during practice for the Camping World RV Sales 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

and ends after the race with the 22 car having got by the 38 car with:

"“…Good job man, good job. Hopefully we can get something out of that.”"

Let me state at the outset that NASCAR have found no communication from the 22 team to support this and they have denied all knowledge of anything being agreed.

"“The facts are there was no radio communication on our side. There was a lot of discussion over there that I really can’t explain because I really don’t know the basis for it.” Said Penske Racing President Tim Cindric on SirusXM radio."

The radio messages from the 38 team is far more worrying than anything that MWR did in my opinion. The call by the 55 team was a split second decision made in the heat of battle and was done between teammates. Here is appears that another team would be willing to sell their position to another team. It doesn’t matter what the reward is, money, technical help, a lifetime supply of beer its pure manipulation of the results for a ‘reward’, which goes against the very nature of racing. Smaller teams could start selling their positions and be under the control of the highest bidder. There are no circumstances where this should be allowed and if found to be the case than the teams involved should be heavily punished. Let me be clear I have no issue with team helping out another team, back markers do it all the time when they get out-of-the-way of the lead cars, or teams use another car to tandem draft at Daytona, or get trash off the grille. It is the doing it for reward that is what separates out this issue.

Many people are saying that the actions of these teams are an inevitability of having a Chase, something that has split the fan base since its inception, and therefore it should be scrapped. The arguments for and against the Chase are for another time but last weekend should not be used as an argument to scrap it. If there was no Chase than all that would happen is that these events would take place at the Homestead race instead where the final finishing positions could be even more important.

Sep 7, 2013; Richmond, VA, USA; A view of the NASCAR Sprint Cup trophy after the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

The next few days will be a very testing time for NASCAR and all eyes are on them to see what they do. My view is that either team orders are allowed, and that includes everything e.g. swapping positions to lead a lap, coming to pit road to give up places or there are no team orders and any team that manipulates the race in any way should be penalised. Of course the latter is currently impossible to police at the moment. There are too many radio communications, spotter talk, chats between crew chiefs, drivers chatting in trailers pre race etc for NASCAR to know what is going on without hiring people to monitor every single team at all times. Therefore NASCAR have to let it continue, but yet they have made a rod for their back penalising MWR for team orders (remember Bowyer’s spin was not the reason for the penalty).

What direction will NASCAR take, who knows. But expect the last 10 races to be closely analysed by everyone and god help us if with 10 laps to go on the final race a driver in second place is behind a teammate but needs the win to take the Championship!