Thread: Throwin' a race?

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You guys see where NASCAR changed the Chase Participants due to a self caused spinout by Clint Bowyer?

Seems the radio chatter between Bowyer and the team verified he spun himself to change the finishing order and allowed Martin Truex to make the chase and bumped Newman and Gordon out.

Not sure how I feel about all this.

Akin to wrecking someone on purpose.....MWR should be MWC for "Cheating".

While I'll agree at face value it is cheating... He spun himself out and never touched any other car.. There is no rule that says you can't do this.
But it certainly was an unsportsmanlike act!

Just one of the grey areas in the rule book I'm thinking..

Actually there is a rule against it. You can not spin yourself out on purpose to cause a caution. Dale Jr got nailed for that in around 2000 or so after saying that he did in an after the race interview.

Of course the rule is very vague.

Edit,
Just checked it out. It was the food city 500 at Bristol in 2004. He got fined $10K and docked 25 points.

Very true! I looked it up also! Dale wanted that caution for some new tires or something.. And it cost him "only" 10K.. 25 points, This time it'll cost MWR 300K and 2 of it's drivers 50 points each! A new record it seems..

I wonder how many other times it's happening and guys get away with it? I remember Kurt Busch ( I think it was) saying it was a good time for a caution and everyone was accusing him of hitting a wall intentionally because he needed a caution. No one could prove it as his tires that were removed had cords showing so he didn't have any traction anyway.

Also, Robby Gordon threw a driving glove out the window to bring a caution. I believe that tossing stuff out is more common that we realize. Because of the huge $$$ tied to making the chase, MWR rolled the dice and got caught. However, their penalty was pretty light because Boyer wasnt hurt but he did the deed.

Well, got to say that Clint would be the guy to do it!!!--just to get a team mate in the Chase!!! I've seen it done many times on the dirt tracks for a variety of reasons, not so often in NASCAR. Penalty seems a bit outrageous, but then it's been one of those years in NASCAR anyway!! I guess it's still ok to knock someone else out of the way and spin them to improve your position, though!!!

You could tell by the way Clint was acting in the post race interview when asked....he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Back in our old dirt track days, if a racer spun out & immediately got back on the throttle the race would stay green. There was one racer (higher profile guy) who, when he spun out would sit there until they threw the yellow, then would take off to catch up to the slowing field. I don't know if they ever called him on it, but the crowd who boo as soon as he took off.

Originally Posted by robot

Also, Robby Gordon threw a driving glove out the window to bring a caution. I believe that tossing stuff out is more common that we realize. Because of the huge $$$ tied to making the chase, MWR rolled the dice and got caught. However, their penalty was pretty light because Boyer wasnt hurt but he did the deed.

I remember three or four (maybe 5?) years back, Jeff Gordon was leading a race and needed tires, so he tossed out a water bottle or cup while on the track. Then he got pissed when NASCAR wants to penalize him and he's screaming he's not at fault!

Seems he forgot the in car camera was in his car that night!

Creating a caution flag is nothing new to racing--been done for years in most every form of Motorsports there is. Only surprising thing to me is a lot of these mindless journalists who look for "drama" in everything are carrying on like it's the most despicable act ever, and Clint is the only one in the world whoever spun out to help a team mate!!!!!

So now you don't even have to win a race in the whole regular season, you just gotta be Jeff Gordon and bitch and whine about how you been cheated from being in the wild card position because others "cheated"....

Yep, NASCAR will add you in as Number 13! What a joke!

But you have to admit that the purpose of the Chase was to add interest at the end of the season when the championship had been pretty much down to a few guys.....now, everyone will be interested in the drama....and the TV and print media will have a field day. NASCAR will sit back and reap the reward of the happenings. They couldnt have written a better script....oops.

Not only that, but now NASCAR put Gordon in the Chase too!!!! Just added an extra car because of a bunch of what if's and maybe's!!!!!!!

Yeah, gotta have the drama to put some butts in the seats!

I sure would like to hear Bowyer's take on all the crap, betcha off camera and away from the reporters him and Mikey Waltrip are laughing their butt off about the whole debacle!!!!!