Kenseth Fails Post Race Inspection but the Question is What Should Be Next?
A typical Matt Kenseth performance. Or was it? Mostly unnoticed during the first 270 laps or so, Kenseth suddenly appeared up front after a series of late race cautions. When it counted the most, Kenseth had the field covered. Now the question is did he do it fairly?
Kenseth’s car failed NASCAR’s post-race inspection laser platform which usually means a fine, a few point subtraction and perhaps a term of probation. Wins have never been taken away. Perhaps consideration should be made to do that very thing in the future.
I think NASCAR has been reluctant to take wins away. The #20 car will be taken to NASCAR’s Research and Development facility in Concord, North Carolina for further evaluation and testing. It may be Wednesday before we know the results of their work.
NASCAR argues that fans who pay good money and go to great expense to attend these races deserve to go home knowing who the winner is. Fair enough. I’d also argue that the fans also deserve to know that the win was on the up and up.
With the new point format, wins is all it’s about. The 15 point reduction that NASCAR usually gives teams for failing post-race inspections mean absolutely nothing to a driver who is already locked into the Chase. Finishing 30th or better is not a deterrent for teams to lose sleep over a small point reduction. In this case the risk reward calculation is a no brainer. There is no risk but the reward is huge. Who wouldn’t have the urge to cheat? The current rules of discipline do little to discourage it.
Kenseth’s car will be checked over in North Carolina and it’s my best guess the win will be stayed. A few points will be deducted and Jason Ratcliff will have to get his checkbook out but Kenseth will get to keep the large lobster given to the winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
There is no evidence at this time that what occurred with the #30 Joe Gibbs Toyota was done purposely. Heck, there isn’t even any evidence yet that his car had any real advantage. All of that hopefully will come out in NASCAR’s further analysis of the car. But what if the evidence does show some monkey business being done in the Gibbs camp?
At most Saturday night dirt tracks around the nation a car which fails a post-race inspection forfeits the victory and the second place finisher is awarded the victory. Perhaps NASCAR should implement the same.
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