NASCAR: Five Predictions for Kansas

Kansas Prediction #5 – A post-race inspection failure will cause a driver to lose playoff eligibility

Ultimately, it has become routine to read about a race team in the NASCAR Cup Series failing post-race inspection. This then causes NASCAR officials to slap the team on the wrist so they don’t do it again…or so they think.

The urge to win the championship will cause drivers and teams to sometimes go to drastic measures. This has been an ongoing issue all season with the sport and something that is no longer a shock to hear on Monday. Such and such a team has failed post-race inspection and will miss practice time this weekend. Or, even though a team was caught cheating and won, let’s go ahead and suspend the crew chief. That’ll teach them to stop.

The problem is…it is not teaching them anything. The collateral damage following a win has already been done. This is why this weekend will provide fans with something that hasn’t been done since 2013. If or when a team uses cheating to make the Round of 8 this weekend at Kansas, similar to Clint Bowyer spinning on purpose at Richmond, a driver will lose his playoff eligibility.

When Bowyer was found to have spun on purpose, it allowed Martin Truex Jr. to make the playoffs that season. However, NASCAR revoked his ability to compete for the championship that season after finding out the spin by Bowyer was indeed on purpose.

Expect to see a driver fail post-race inspection after Kansas and have their playoff hopes tossed away. It would be the perfect scenario for NASCAR officials to enforce the law and show teams they are no longer messing around with punishment.