Wednesday, February 27, 2008

[Punishment of Robby Gordon]

NASCAR's punishment of Robby Gordon and team seems a bit harsh, given the circumstances. Dodge provided him with a nose that hadn't been approved. He just switched to Dodge. We understand why he couldn't tell the difference. No one could tell a difference without measuring instruments.

Dodge called its generic car an Avenger last year. This year it's a Charger. Same car. Oh, wait. Dodge submitted a "Charger" nose for approval. NASCAR hasn't approved it yet. Given that logic, doesn't that make the Dodge an Avenger still?

Fines are being awarded to the NASCAR Foundation this year. Does that make Robby Gordon's $100,000 fine a charitable donation?

Roger Penske's Daytona 500 victory was bigger than Ryan Newman's. Dating back to the early 1970s, the most distinguished owner in the history of American motorsports had never won the 500.

The break-up of open-wheel racing played a significant role in NASCAR's increase in popularity. Now that the IRL and ChampCar have gotten back together, will that coincide with the IndyCars regaining some popularity?

Originally, Auto Club Speedway (i.e., California) scheduled Craftsman Truck and Nationwide series races on the same day, Saturday. When rain washed out the Nationwide race, officials moved it to Sunday, meaning that it was rescheduled for after the Sprint Cup race.

Jacques Villeneuve's great NASCAR experiment may be over practically before it started. The one-time World Driving Champion failed to make the Daytona 500 starting field and then was replaced by Mike Skinner. Apparently Villeneuve couldn't close the deal on a sponsor.


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