NASCAR is Sending the Wrong Message with Auto Club Penalties

NASCAR has announced the penalties that have been the major news of NASCAR’s off-week. Surprisingly, they are essentially meaningless. NASCAR has been trying to send a message to drivers about their new “behavior policy,” but they are failing to affect the drivers with the precedent they are setting with this week’s penalties.

Kyle Busch and Danica Patrick were under question from NASCAR for questionable actions this past week at Auto Club Speedway. Kyle Busch was furious after Saturday’s Xfinity Series race in which he blew a tire on the final lap while leading and failed to reach Victory Lane.

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Kyle was upset at NASCAR for not throwing a caution, which would have given him the victory if he had been able to coast around to the finish line, which he would have seeing as how he did actually finish the race at relatively full-speed. He accused NASCAR of being rigged because the caution was not waved on an in-car radio post-race tirade. He then proceeded to skip the mandatory media center interviews because of the incident. NASCAR announced Thursday afternoon that Kyle has been fined $10,000 for his actions, specifically for missing the media center interviews.

Danica’s incident in question occurred during the Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400. On lap 120, Kasey Kahne abruptly turned left while outside of Patrick and spun her out, causing her to make significant contact with the outside SAFER barrier on the frontstretch. She was infuriated and walked up towards the racing surface while the NASCAR officials were assessing the scene and gestured at Kahne.

In light of the Tony Stewart-Kevin Ward incident in Central New York in 2014, NASCAR outlawed drivers walking on or near the racing surface after an incident, as well as not getting out of their cars until NASCAR officials arrive unless the car is in flames or the driver could be harmed without immediate exit. Danica violated this rule, on-track incident procedure section (10.4.2.1), when gesturing at Kahne after the incident. She was penalized Thursday afternoon with a fine of $20,000.  Both drivers were also placed on probation for the next four races.

While Danica did violate a safety issue that I commend NASCAR for instituting, the penalties announced today have little impact on driver behavior. Kyle Busch may have been out of hand when he said ‘NASCAR is fixed,’ but why is he not allowed to have that passion without being penalized? It is that burning passion and desire that pushes NASCAR drivers to be at their best.

If NASCAR wants to really send a message about driver behavior, a slap on the wrist monetary penalty will not succeed in sending a message. Danica violated a rule that was instituted because on an on-track incident that resulted in a death, so her being penalized is absolutely justified, but an insignificant fine is not going to do a thing. This is a rule about driver safety. Yes, Danica was far from the racecars themselves, but we know all too well that anything can happen under yellow, a car could break and spin out, or worse. Danica needed to receive a more significant penalty here to show NASCAR is serious about driver safety and responsibility.

As for Kyle, he was out of line in calling NASCAR fixed, but do not blame him for being passionate about winning, even if it is in the Xfinity Series. That is what pushes drivers to succeed and that is the only reason why Kyle was racing Saturday. If NASCAR wanted to seriously send Kyle Busch and other drivers a message about criticizing the series, is a $10,000 fine and a four-race probation going to send a message? Absolutely not. NASCAR needs to start being serious about penalties if they want the drivers and fans to respect their decisions (Matt Kenseth at Martinsville is an exception).

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If NASCAR really wants to send a message to the drivers about safety and behavior, start floating around at least more significant fines, or even perhaps points penalties and more meaningful probationary punishment. A slap on the wrist fine is not going to mean a thing to NASCAR drivers or fans, and calls into question the legitimacy of the NASCAR penalty process.