The Silver Tongue Beast Known As NASCAR

Topics:  NASCAR

Jeremy T. Sellers
Jerm's Joint
April 22, 2009

Wow, the aggravating issue here is that I nearly had this article signed, sealed, and delivered when my computer decided to magically make it disappear. However, I will attempt to bring the same style back to my second attempt, in my usual sense of sarcasm and disgust as I possessed in my first. The head NASCAR Nazi, Brian France, went on record at Homestead last season stating he wanted to see the return of raw emotion amongst his drivers, and get back to a little "old school" type dealing with on and off-track incidents. Darrell Waltrip, in his infinite wisdom, has even supported the same subject, going on record weekly in his FOX broadcasts, going as far as hinting that racing is boring and that wee need to see some bumping and grinding going on. Apparently, Brian France has not implemented his own wish, and John Darby didn't get the memo.

I am not 100% sure, but I am nearly certain Casey Mears has never made a trip to the principal's office after a race during his career. If he has, it never made main-stream and wasn't deemed important enough to stress. Like him or not, no one can say that Dale Jr. has made a habit of being a trouble maker, and most would actually find it refreshing to see a little bit of his old man coming out him Saturday night. Frustrated over yet another ill-handling race car, I don't believe for one instant that Casey intentionally moved Jr. Yet Dale chose to take out said frustration by believing the otherwise, and showing his disapproval of being bumped. Casey, taking the "It wasn't my fault" approach, repaid the visit after the cool down lap. So, with Brian France basically wishing for the return of the "It was one of those racin'deals" philosophy doesn't intervene as NASCAR levels probation for the next six events for both drivers. If the return of grass-roots racing is his desire, then this should have never even been given a second glance, let alone penalizing two drivers who have probably already hashed this out. True, the penalty is minute, but it is still there.

So NASCAR, in its typical silver-tongued ways says one thing, yet clearly still holds on to the continuing sterility it implements resulting in boring racing, no emotion, and constant political correctness. If NASCAR had let that go, a new rivalry would have been created, whether true between drivers or not, the fans would have taken this and run with it, maybe they will still, but we cannot even let a spark escape, let alone something like a full blow rivalry.