lug nut rule putting a monkey wrench in money stops??

hidesert cowboy

hidesert cowboy

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The last few weeks each week we have seen at least one team hit with a lug nut penalty. apparently nascar checks each car at the end of the race to make sure not only is there 5 lug nuts on the studs but the nuts must be against the wheel. I am wondering how much fear this is putting into teams on the very last pit stop when the race is on the line. Risk holding the lead and a lug nut penalty to win the race?? it means your CC will sit the next race. I am wondering what kind of risk vs reward teams are seeing with this. I would think its not a risk a team would even think about taking unless they were in contention to win.
 
They've only got themselves to blame for any fear that they may be experiencing. NASCAR quit policing this at the beginning of the 2016 err 2015 season. The teams were left to take care of this themselves. Everything was fine when the teams were policing themselves for more than a year.

Step in Tony, the mouthpiece for the drivers stating that NASCAR is ignoring safety and they have to do something. Fans then became vocal that NASCAR had to do something. NASCAR was forced into a corner on this one when there was no real issue to begin with. No wheels flying off cars sent flaming into the stands. Loose wheels, due to the practice of not tightening/installing all the lug nuts simply caused vibration. Enough so that the teams had to pit to correct the issue. It was self policing. There was no problem.

NASCAR had to create a new rule. The did so. They standardized it. Every infraction under the new rule has been the same. I doubt that these infraction since the new rule was implemented are intentional. They are probably just mistakes during the fast pace world of the 'money stop'. Problem is, you can't judge intent.

I agree, it's ridiculous that it has come to the point that it has. The 12+ month delayed overreaction by the drivers/fans was ridiculous as well. I'm not sure what the answer is. The best thing would be to step back in time before Tony called out the sport and let this thing be self policing once again. Until then, we are going to see this same result repeated over and over again. I'm just waiting to see what happens when we have a repeat offender. It's going to happen and it's not going to be pretty. That P3 infraction will probably then become a P4.

Be careful what you ask for, you may just get it.
 
IMO what was the final straw is when the teams started using bright colored markings around the lug nut that was to be left off. This was right before the rule change. They were using this to index the wheel to the stud that was not going to have a lug nut. This to many appeared to be a pretty hokie solution. I think it looked kinda funny when you compare it to other forms of racing what other series would intentionally leave off a fastener that was designed to be there? This along with driver criticism is what triggered the rule. Last year the situation did police itself but teams took it to another level with the bright markings on the wheels.

I think the rule at the end of the race should be what the original rule was. There must be 5 nuts on the wheel. doesn't matter if they are touching the wheel just all studs must at least have a nut on them.
 
While NASCAR changed the rule in 2015, it was only at the start of 2016 when we saw teams (starting with JGR) taking it to extremes. I don't know if they did something in the off season to make 3 lug nuts work but all through 2015 this wasn't an issue from either side as teams were still gluing/tightening 5 if they could.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
They've only got themselves to blame for any fear that they may be experiencing. NASCAR quit policing this at the beginning of the 2016 err 2015 season. The teams were left to take care of this themselves. Everything was fine when the teams were policing themselves for more than a year.

Step in Tony, the mouthpiece for the drivers stating that NASCAR is ignoring safety and they have to do something. Fans then became vocal that NASCAR had to do something. NASCAR was forced into a corner on this one when there was no real issue to begin with. No wheels flying off cars sent flaming into the stands. Loose wheels, due to the practice of not tightening/installing all the lug nuts simply caused vibration. Enough so that the teams had to pit to correct the issue. It was self policing. There was no problem.

NASCAR had to create a new rule. The did so. They standardized it. Every infraction under the new rule has been the same. I doubt that these infraction since the new rule was implemented are intentional. They are probably just mistakes during the fast pace world of the 'money stop'. Problem is, you can't judge intent.

I agree, it's ridiculous that it has come to the point that it has. The 12+ month delayed overreaction by the drivers/fans was ridiculous as well. I'm not sure what the answer is. The best thing would be to step back in time before Tony called out the sport and let this thing be self policing once again. Until then, we are going to see this same result repeated over and over again. I'm just waiting to see what happens when we have a repeat offender. It's going to happen and it's not going to be pretty. That P3 infraction will probably then become a P4.

Be careful what you ask for, you may just get it.
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"No wheels flying off cars sent flaming into the stands." Thank goodness! But I'm hoping you're not saying that since it didn't happen in those few races, it could never happen.
Ridiculous? Well how long would it take to escalate? If you pit with a few laps to go, would you try tightening just one lug nut (hoping it would hold on long enough, and you'd gain track position)?
Self-policing? That's letting the inmates run the asylum.
 
I have always been against the new lugnut rule because it impacts driver (and fan) safety . I can see easing the penalties . I'd rather not see races won or lost because of a loose lugnut. It's kinda like marihuana . I'd love to see it decriminalized but not in favor of it being legalized .
 
The teams can only blame themselves. Nascar gave them free reign and they blew it. They just had to push it and then the drivers complained to Nascar instead of the team owners and CC. Nascar was forced to step back into it and now the teams aren't happened. Lesson is be careful what you complain about because you might not like the results.
 
I have to agree, the teams brought this on themselves
 
Yep, which is why it would be unfair at this point to reward the teams by going back to no rules.
 
Will 2 lug nuts work? Hell, the answer is simple, put a restriction on the gas tank filler so that each full tank takes about 17 seconds, surprisingly you'll see all 5 lugs on then.
 
If Patrick was in a position to win, Hell I say go with 3 lugs, and we will catch you at the next race after next Billy....:D
 
DanicaFreak said:
If Patrick was in a position to win, Hell I say go with 3 lugs, and we will catch you at the next race after next Billy....:D
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I think any team in a position to win would go this route, especially if they are going for their first win of the season. Losing the CC for a race is a small price to pay for getting locked in to the chase.
 
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Correct me when I'm wrong, but isn't this pretty much the same lug nut rule that was in effect through the end of the 2014 season?
 
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