Another week and NASCAR fans are subjected to another rule change. Beginning this year NASCAR decided to turn a blind eye to teams having to put on all the lug nuts on the wheels. The upper management left it up to the teams to police themselves and that is a recipe for disaster.
Like the old saying goes”give them an inch and they’ll take a mile”. Teams in this highly competitive sport will virtually stop at nothing to gain an advantage over another team in hopes of a victory. And yes they will even walk the fine line of safety to gain the upper hand. When it comes to teams tampering with the tires, there is no more dangerous task then this. Teams were, and eventually caught with bleeders, and although manipulating the tire pressure will give you more grip and better handling, it goes beyond the safety pressures Goodyear mandates to the teams, resulting in tire failures.
NASCAR Consistently Inconsistent
One of this sports elders returned to the track after resting a off track injury. Tony Stewart is not afraid to speak his mind and has done so on a regular basis the last number of years. Upon returning to his first race of the season, he was very vocal in the fact that NASCAR is allowing teams to gamble on safety and not being regulated to have to install all wheel lugs. Tony knows that by only putting on 3 or 4, pit stops would be quicker thus better track position but thinks its a gamble not worth taking.
He was angry that NASCAR would implement so many safety rules and changes, but let this slide. NASCAR did not take too kindly to Stewart’s outspoken words and fined him $35,000. An amount that is hardly a worry to Stewart, but was picked up by The Racing Alliance anyways. They said they would pay the fine for Stewart because they all agreed it was the right thing to do. Tony did take out $35,000 and donated it to charity, which is an excellent show of class.
Then NASCAR announces that will change their stance and enforce that all teams must install all five lug nuts on each wheel. So once again NASCAR shows they are quick to react and show that they seem unable to remain consistent on anything they imply as far as rules and rule changes. Makes you wonder if the powers that be are just flying by the seat of their pants, and should they not refund back the penalty money.
Main Photo: LOUDON, NH – SEPTEMBER 20: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Code 3 Associates / Mobil 1 Chevrolet, walks in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 20, 2014 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/NASCAR via Getty Images)
