CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sticking with its "boys, have at it" attitude, NASCAR placed Carl Edwards on probation for three races Tuesday for deliberately wrecking Brad Keselowski's car last weekend in Atlanta.
Edwards will be monitored by NASCAR through the April 10 race at Phoenix but may drive in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series.
NASCAR president Mike Helton said Edwards acted unacceptably Sunday but did not cross the line in what the sanctioning body will allow this season. NASCAR promised in January to give the drivers more leeway in policing themselves and settling scores in an effort to energize the sport.
"We made it very clear to (Edwards) that these actions were not acceptable and did go beyond what we said back in January about putting the driving back in the hands of the drivers," Helton said. "We believe (Edwards) understands our position at this point."
There had been a strong call from fans and analysts for NASCAR to suspend Edwards, who returned to the track down 153 laps from an earlier accident with Keselowski and intent on wrecking his car. He tried for at least one lap before succeeding with three laps to go, nudging Keselowski's car and sending it airborne. The car banged hood-first off a retaining wall before flipping back onto its wheels. No one was hurt.
Keselowski supported NASCAR's decision.
"They are not in an enviable position when it comes to these matters, but they do an outstanding job," he said in a statement, adding it was unfortunate the accident overshadowed Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch's victory.
Edwards acknowledged his action was intentional but said he was surprised by Keselowski's car taking flight. Because NASCAR approved greater driver leeway before the season, a severe punishment for Edwards most likely would have quashed the "have at it" attitude after the first test.
The decision to lighten up after years of penalizing drivers for minor infractions — Dale Earnhardt Jr. was once punished for cursing on TV; Jeff Gordon was placed on probation for shoving Matt Kenseth — was in large part due to increased fan excitement created by some 2009 feuds.
Denny Hamlin had a monthslong dispute with Keselowski, an aggressive young driver who has made no apologies for banging fenders with established veterans. Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya played retaliatory bumper-cars in the season finale at Homestead.
Helton said the day after the finale that NASCAR had perhaps gone too far in sterilizing the competition and acknowledged that more emotion and personality could benefit the sport. The "have at it" era was announced less than two months later, and Helton was not backing down Tuesday.
"The clear message, I think, we sent in January was that we were willing to put more responsibility in the hands of the driver," he said. "But there is a line you can cross and we'll step in to maintain law and order when we think that line's crossed."
Just what is that line?
"I think we see it when we see it," he replied.
Clint Bowyer, participating in a Goodyear tire test at Darlington, disagreed with NASCAR's assessment.
"I think there's a too far in everything and that was too far. Bottom line. Simple as that," Bowyer said. "That was a pretty scary incident that could've been a lot worse."
The fairly lenient punishment — many view probation as a slap on the wrist — drew swift and mixed reaction from drivers who jumped to their Twitter accounts during Helton's 20-minute announcement.
"Huh!" wrote Kevin Harvick, who was suspended one race in 2002 for insubordination — he parked his truck at the door of the NASCAR hauler when he was summoned to discuss rough driving at Martinsville.
"I'm thinking about asking for a refund for all of my penalties!!!!"
But Scott Speed and Michael Waltrip applauded NASCAR's decision.
"You can't ask the driver to take their gloves off one week and then tell em to put 'em back on the next," Waltrip wrote.
Helton said NASCAR saw two distinct parts to the accident: Edwards' action; Keselowski's car going airborne. The more serious of the two, in NASCAR's opinion, is figuring out why Keselowski's car acted as it did.
"That's something that is very important to us, and we want to study very closely to figure out things that we can do to help prevent this very quickly in the future," Helton said. "This is a very important element of all of this, that I would ask all of us to be reminded of the fact of the car getting airborne was a very serious issue."
AP Sports Writer Pete Iacobelli contributed to this report from Darlington, S.C.
Auto Racing
Related Photos
-
Joe Sebo
-
Skip Williams
-
Reinhold Matay
-
Reinhold Matay
Related Links
Discussion
NASCAR puts Carl Edwards on probation for 3 races
President calls driver's actions "not acceptable"
- Auto Racing
-
-
Ken de la Bastide: Barrichello might move to IndyCar
Although the IZOD IndyCar Series lost its most identifiable driver with the move of Danica Patrick to NASCAR, possible changes could raise the level of competition to new heights. The IZOD IndyCar season starts on March 25 and there is a chance a veteran Formula One driver could be in the mix.
-
Ken de la Bastide: Stewart could aid Danica
With the Daytona 500 less than a month away, one of the big unknowns is will Danica Patrick have to race her way into the starting field or will car owner Tony Stewart buy her way in?
-
Danica ditches Indy
Danica Patrick became a worldwide sensation as a rookie at the Indianapolis 500, challenging for victory and becoming the first woman to lead laps in the showcase race.
Those Indy days are fading fast.
Patrick’s shift to stock cars is long under way, and her ties to IndyCar were cut even further Monday — she said she won’t run in this year’s Indy 500. -
Ken de la Bastide: Changes looming in July
The race schedule around the Brickyard 400 this coming July will look different than in years past, but there will still be plenty of short track racing action.
-
Ken de la Bastide: IndyCar back to the Mile?
Last week I received several comments regarding the lack of oval races on the 2012 IZOD IndyCar schedule.
One reader noted, correctly, that a factor for scheduling races on oval tracks has been a lack of attendance. Another reader also correctly stated that the oval races need to be promoted better to attract fans, and of course sponsorship dollars are a necessity. -
Kirby opens 2012 with Street Stock win
Tight racing through the first half of the EDCO Welding Street Stock feature gave way to leaders mixing it up in Turn 2, with Jimmy Kirby emerging as the leader.
Above normal temperatures and sunny skies on Saturday brought out more than 80 race teams and a healthy crowd of fans for the Aqua System New Year’s Bash presented by EDCO Welding. -
Ken de la Bastide: Indy 500 is top race of 2011
There should be little doubt that the 100th anniversary race of the Indianapolis 500 was the best event of 2011. One could almost make the case that the race has vaulted the “500” back to the top of all motorsports.
-
‘Limitless’ racing factor in fatal Vegas wreck
Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s “limitless” racing surface was singled out Thursday as a significant factor in a “perfect storm” of conditions that led to the death of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon.
-
Ken de la Bastide: Schmidt receives well-deserved honor
It was heartening to see last week that IZOD IndyCar team owner Sam Schmidt was presented with the 2011 Achievement Award at the International Motorsports Industry Show.
Schmidt was paralyzed in 2000 during testing at the Walt Disney World Speedway and the next year formed Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
The team has found success in Indy Car racing, having won five Indy Lights championships with 46 race wins, and also has fielded cars in the IZOD IndyCar series for the past nine years. -
Ken de la Bastide: Give fans of racing a nice gift
It’s that time of the year for people to scramble to find that perfect Christmas gift for everyone on their shopping list.
- More Auto Racing Headlines
-
