NASCAR and Consistency....A LONGSTANDING Problem

I was scanning the articles in today's news at Jayski's, and what struck me were all the articles by sportswriters who are now (thanks to the green flag finish at Daytona last Sunday) stating that NASCAR needs to show consistency in order to be considered a legitimate sport...that NASCAR needs impartial officials....that NASCAR doesn't enforce penalties across the board...Well, a big DUH should be sent out to all those writers! They state these lofty premises like they've just discovered the cure for a horrible disease...C'mon!! We've been saying that for the past 20 some years...Where were all these sportsfan/racing writers back then?? Guess, better late than never.

For the 439 millionth time, NASCAR is a sport run and owned by one family. They have made nepotism an art. As long as one family controls a sport, the sport's rulebook is not available to the fans or public, and that family is raking in literally hundreds of millions of dollars a year of course there will be discrepancies and inconsistencies. Richard Petty tried to unionize the drivers back in the 1970's and was lucky NASCAR let him back in to their sport. Until a Board of Governors, comprised of team owners, track owners (yes, there are some tracks NASCAR's France family does not own) it's a moot point to talk about how the sport is run.

Heck, Michael Waltrip's team was fined $100,000 (chump change to them), 100 points for driver and owner (more of an 'ouch'), and the crew chief suspended indefinitely for a 'mysterious substance' found in the manifold. Now NASCAR won't even reveal what that substance was to be public. Not to worry, tho. Secrets in the garage are seldom well kept.

NASCAR Finally Got It Right by Not Throwing Caution at End of Daytona 500

The buzz all week has been about whether NASCAR did the right thing by not throwing a caution when the bulk of the field was wrecking 1/4 mile behind the two drivers racing for the win in the Daytona 500. The wreck was BEHIND the leaders on the last lap, folks! It was great to see NASCAR actually let the two vying for the win, Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin, actually RACE for the win. I don't agree with NASCAR's calls most of the time, but they actually got this one right!! Kevin Harvick raced Mark Martin for the win, and beat him to the finish line. End of story.