NASCAR fining drivers for destructive comments

mike honcho

mike honcho

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The Associated Press has learned that NASCAR warned teams during the offseason that public criticism of the sport would no longer be tolerated, and at least two star drivers have been fined — one as much as $50,000 — for comments that were deemed destructive to the industry.

People familiar with the penalties spoke on condition of anonymity because NASCAR is not publicly identifying the topflight drivers it fined.

Drivers all declined to publicly discuss the policy, but it shouldn't come as any surprise — considering NASCAR's heightened effort this year to re-ignite interest in a sport that's been fighting sagging attendance, declining television ratings and overall fan apathy for several seasons.


http://www.usatoday.com/sports/moto...or+Sports+-+Top+Stories)&utm_content=My+Yahoo
 
We desperately need someone to step up and speak for the drivers.
Sr would have told them to chit in their hat and pull it over their ears.
 
"Have at it, boys"

But we'll fine you if you use your mouth. No wonder the 12/99 issues...

If they can't use their mouth, what else are they supposed to use?
 
SST55 said:
We desperately need someone to step up and speak for the drivers.
Sr would have told them to chit in their hat and pull it over their ears.
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Jeff Gordon was suppose to be the spokes person....what ever happened to that? God forbid he goes against the grain
 
Well.... I was there and listening to the track officials several of the drivers were pizzed. The tires sucked, again. I am done with the Brickyard.

Did anyone else wonder why there were "debri" cautions every 25-30 laps?
 
Smoke14 said:
Well.... I was there and listening to the track officials several of the drivers were pizzed. The tires sucked, again. I am done with the Brickyard.

Did anyone else wonder why there were "debri" cautions every 25-30 laps?
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Yep, I sure did. The Convenient Caution struck again. Nascar should really be ashamed when they throw a yellow and the cameras don't catch it. There are enough cameras at any given race that they could probably pin point a booger on Jrs big toe but can't find the "debri" on the track. That junk really gets on my nerves big time.
 
chromehorn said:
Yep, I sure did. The Convenient Caution struck again. Nascar should really be ashamed when they throw a yellow and the cameras don't catch it. There are enough cameras at any given race that they could probably pin point a booger on Jrs big toe but can't find the "debri" on the track. That junk really gets on my nerves big time.
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It sure would help if the debris that brought out the caution were shown by the networks covering the race. A couple times it was, a couple times it wasn't this past weekend. There were four debris cautions this past weekend but there wasn't really any consistency to when they were thrown.

Cautions: Laps: 2-7 (#00,09,18,19,64,77,83 accident turn 2), 16-20 (debris), 67-69 (debris), 118-121 (debris), 139-142 (debris), 147-149 (#42,88 accident turn 4)
 
SST55 said:
We desperately need someone to step up and speak for the drivers.
Sr would have told them to chit in their hat and pull it over their ears.
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Was just going to say that, SR would of told them where to go. Since he died there really hasn't been a voice from the drivers.
 
Smoke14 said:
Well.... I was there and listening to the track officials several of the drivers were pizzed. The tires sucked, again. I am done with the Brickyard.

Did anyone else wonder why there were "debri" cautions every 25-30 laps?
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Yep I sure did, always happened at real "convienent " times too. Should of read all posts Ditto to the above.LOL
 
After Srs death a bunch of names were tossed around to take his place as unofficial spokeman for the drivers. Rusty and DJ were always mentioned, not sure about Rudd and Martin.

In any case no one took on the challenge and now Na$car is controling their speech.

Maybe it's time to revive the drivers union/association to give the drivers some say,,, but big bill squashed that idea.
Or all 43 take the green, mat it, throw in the clutch and 'blow'd her up' on the first lap. Everyone finishes in the quailify order.

Time to revisit the other tire makers, Firestone and Hoosier.
 
Mopardh9 said:
Yep I sure did, always happened at real "convienent " times too. Should of read all posts Ditto to the above.LOL
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So how many tire blow outs did we have in all the practices?????

There were no problems with the tires this year. Something would have got out by someone. Nascar always has phantom cautions. This track is no different.

Put your tin foil hats away.
 
SST55 said:
After Srs death a bunch of names were tossed around to take his place as unofficial spokeman for the drivers. Rusty and DJ were always mentioned, not sure about Rudd and Martin.

In any case no one took on the challenge and now Na$car is controling their speech.

Maybe it's time to revive the drivers union/association to give the drivers some say,,, but big bill squashed that idea.
Or all 43 take the green, mat it, throw in the clutch and 'blow'd her up' on the first lap. Everyone finishes in the quailify order.

Time to revisit the other tire makers, Firestone and Hoosier.
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Say what you may, but I don't believe that Sr. had all that much power talking to NASCAR. While it's true, they knew he was their big ticket, they also knew that he pretty much was on their side.

Because of the money involved, it would be almost impossible to get all the drivers to stage any kind of protest. There will always be other drivers who would love to step up and take the money and run. But even back when the pay wasn't all that big, the King couldn't even muster enough to get the drivers to boycott Taladega. As long as Daytona controls NASCAR, they hold all the cards and getting a re-deal is almost impossible.
 
How bout that, Richard Childress is a scab. I wonder how the King really feels about Richard today. Probably no big deal.
 
like i been sayin for years but nobody listens


Brian and his cronies have KILLED the sport i once loved

don't know who said nascar didn't listen to Dale. but if you will look back the sport has gone to hell in a hand basket since he died
 
de7xwcc said:
like i been sayin for years but nobody listens


Brian and his cronies have KILLED the sport i once loved

don't know who said nascar didn't listen to Dale. but if you will look back the sport has gone to hell in a hand basket since he died
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Keep rewriting the history guys. Racing is far better now . Many more cars with a chance to win . Earnhardt was a staunch opponent of safety improvements like the full face helmet. His best buddy was Mike Helton . And having the number one pit stall guaranteed , helped him win a few championships. For more excitement , try watching world championship poker.
 
de7xwcc said:
like i been sayin for years but nobody listens


Brian and his cronies have KILLED the sport i once loved

don't know who said nascar didn't listen to Dale. but if you will look back the sport has gone to hell in a hand basket since he died
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Yep i agree.
 
ted@economy said:
Keep rewriting the history guys. Racing is far better now .
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didn't check but you have to be the guy with the bump on the noggin bobby tried to help. put some ice on it, take some aspirin and you'll feel much better. :)
 
ted@economy said:
Keep rewriting the history guys. Racing is far better now . Many more cars with a chance to win . Earnhardt was a staunch opponent of safety improvements like the full face helmet. His best buddy was Mike Helton . And having the number one pit stall guaranteed , helped him win a few championships. For more excitement , try watching world championship poker.
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what ever Ted :p
 
ted@economy said:
Keep rewriting the history guys. Racing is far better now . Many more cars with a chance to win . Earnhardt was a staunch opponent of safety improvements like the full face helmet. His best buddy was Mike Helton . And having the number one pit stall guaranteed , helped him win a few championships. For more excitement , try watching world championship poker.
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I personally detest a full face helmet. I feel they limit my peripheral vision and hearing. They're hot too. At the time of his death other drivers were using a open face helmet too.

Now what other safety improvements was he against?

The #1 pit stall was a perk availible to the previous years champion. Sr had the oportunity to use that perk three times, in '87, '91, & '94.
He did not win the championship in '88, '92 or '95 so please tell me how he won a few championships using the #1 pit. Please, do tell.

Regarding Sr's clout with Na$car. Can anyone tell me of another driver who took his original position following a pit stop when a official said his crew missed a lug nut?He and Richard said they hadn't, he FINALLY pulled in and proved the official wrong and resumed his position?

FWIW Racing was a lot better in the earlier times than today. IMHO of course
 
It was reported earlier this week by The Associated Press that two star Cup drivers were fined, one as much as $50,000, for critical comments about the sport. NASCAR officials declined to name the drivers, but defended their right to maintain some sense of control for the sake of the brand.

"It is the sanctioning body's obligation on behalf of the industry and our fans to protect the sport's brand," spokesman Ramsey Poston said in a statement. "Any action taken by NASCAR has nothing to do with the drivers expressing an opinion -- it's focused on actions or comments that materially damage the sport.
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why the big secret identifying drivers? to my knowledge other sports don't have this type of secret penalties that are enforced.
 
SlowNeasy said:
why the big secret identifying drivers? to my knowledge other sports don't have this type of secret penalties that are enforced.
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They kill 2 birds with 1 stone.It gets people talking about NASCAR,plus they are talking about WHO are the 2.My money is 1 of them is Hamlin talking about the late cautions.His mouth runith over for 2 weeks about it then he has been very,very quiet.
 
Jayski update on this.....

#39-Ryan Newman and #11-Denny Hamlin were the two Sprint Cup drivers fined by NASCAR for making disparaging comments about the series, multiple sources told ESPN.com. Neither driver could be reached for comment. Newman was fined first and Hamlin second, the sources said. The sources would not confirm which statements made by the drivers were responsible for the fines, but both drivers have been outspoken on several issues.
 
Actually , I was good with the names not coming out. It is always harder to sort out an issue when personalities are involved. Thankfully it was not Junior or Gordon involved because their fans would have come down really hard on Nascar.
 
It'll just go from who to what was said now.

Oh, and don't paint all of us Jr. fans with the same brush. We're not all the same. :D
 
I was mainly talking about the media. Now that they know exactly who, they're going to not rest until they know exactly what was said. Sure, we all pretty much know anyway. I simply saying that the media will not let up until it's confirmed and we'll then get to hear the sound bites over and over. I'd guess that is why NASCAR tried to keep this kind of stuff quiet to begin with. A move that certainly backfired on them. It ended up being more of a story than it ever needed to be.
 
So it's say what you want but watch what you say.hahahaha

NASCAR discourages negative talk: NASCAR president Mike Helton insists he wants drivers to feel free to express themselves. Helton just doesn't want anyone doing so in a way that could hurt the sport's image. A report by The Associated Press earlier this week said that NASCAR has fined at least two of its top drivers this season for making critical comments about the circuit. People familiar with the penalties told the AP the comments were considered disparaging to the sport. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because NASCAR was not publicly identifying the top-flight drivers it fined, although sources told ESPN.com Wednesday that the drivers were Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin. They said one driver was penalized as much as $50,000. "The emotion of the sport, we encourage. The passion and the emotion of a driver wanting to win and, within reason, his driving style to do that, we encourage," Helton said. "What we discourage throughout the industry, though, is sending the message that the sport isn't worthy of following." Helton said Thursday that the sanctioning body hasn't identified the penalized drivers because NASCAR views it the same way as conversations officials might have with drivers after an on-track incident. Those talks usually remain private as well. NASCAR hasn't divulged details about the fines, either, but a NASCAR spokesman said Monday night that any moves made by the sanctioning body is focused on actions or comments that "materially damage" the sport and not on drivers expressing opinions. Fines for critical comments are commonplace for many pro sports leagues, and Helton acknowledged that the sanctioning body is focused on making sure a positive message about NASCAR is driven home to the public.(ESPN)(7-30-2010)
 
Newman acknowledges NASCAR penalty

Interesting quotes from Newman on his penalty.....

Driver Ryan Newman confirmed Friday he was one of the drivers assessed an undisclosed financial penalty for comments that officials said "materially damaged" NASCAR.

"Yes, I was one of the drivers," Newman told the Observer and ThatsRacin.com. "Nobody likes to be penalized, whether they believe they were right or wrong.

"It's neither here nor there. It's over with. It's unfortunate. I'm good with it."

Newman said he didn't know what he said that prompted the fine, the amount of which he would not reveal.

He wasn't sure whether or not the fine would discourage him from speaking his mind in the future.

"It's tough sometimes when you get a microphone stuck in your face and the first thing that comes in your mind, you want to say," Newman said.

"The second part of that is that – and NASCAR is doing a much better job of coming to us drivers and getting our opinion – but as soon as something happens, they don't come to us. We want to speak our minds and sometimes it comes out in the wrong way.

"For NASCAR to give a penalty for that, that's their call. They are the ones policing the sport."

Newman said NASCAR officials had cautioned drivers early in the season that their word choices could have a negative impact.

"We were warned, but I didn't expect the (result) to be like that. It comes as a bit of surprise."

Asked if he thought it was difficult to keep the fines secret, Newman said, "Do you think that's the only secret?"
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He doesn't know what prompted the fine or more likely, he doesn't want to make the same mistake twice.

Other secrets? Hmmmm.
 
Mystery Caution

The code word for mystery caution is now HOT DOG WRAPER
They can't fine them for saying HOT DOG WRAPER
 
How does one define destructive comments? Is that like porn? Can't define it but know it when I see it?
 
I have a feeling Newman's penalty came as a result of what he said at Talladega last year.

As for Hamlin, he's always blaming NASCAR when he doesn't win a race.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
I have a feeling Newman's penalty came as a result of what he said at Talladega last year.

As for Hamlin, he's always blaming NASCAR when he doesn't win a race.
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That Talladega thing has me puzzled. I thought the same as you but I thought this new means of revenue for NASCAR began this season and not last. :confused: I kept trying to figure out what he had said this year and I came up with nothing.

I think Hamlin's came after he won the race, yet still blamed NASCAR for a bogus caution that could have caused a loss. But yes, you're right, some whining going on.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I think Hamlin's came after he won the race, yet still blamed NASCAR for a bogus caution that could have caused a loss. But yes, you're right, some whining going on.
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It's never Denny's fault. Sadly, the over-inflated egos at Gibbs (Hamlin and KyBu) are rubbing off on Logano.
 
Apparently, Hamlin's fine was for something he said on Twitter.

It sounds like NASCAR's in trouble and they know it.
 
A $50,000.00 Tweet

What do you think? Is this tweet worth $50,000.00?

SI.com has since confirmed the context of that Twitter conversation, a suggestion the racing "was fixed," is what got Denny Hamlin fined. It was a public exchange between Hamlin and SB Nation's Jeff Gluck, a blogger, reprinted below: (Twitter names are @dennyhamlin and @jeff_gluck, respectively)

@dennyhamlin (to his fans): Truthfully I don't think It matters to the fans who wins the race as long as its a good "show". Even if it comes as the expense of competition

@dennyhamlin: I'm listening to your comments.. Ok if ur fav driver is out of contention and leader is on his way to winning with 10 to go. Would u like to see nascar tighten it up or let the best car win? Please reply.

@dennyhamlin: ok too many reply's to give a true count but its about 80% let it go 20% tighten it up.. thanks for the info. i was courious what u thought

@jeff_gluck: Personally I don't think they're not all being honest w/you or themselves. When the leader is running away fans BEG for caution

@dennyhamlin: big difference in legit and not.. im not saying dont throw a caution when a guy is in the way.. come on dude..

@jeff_gluck: And btw, I say "Tighten it up." I want to see an exciting finish...if cars get torn up, it just adds drama.

@dennyhamlin: i mean when a guy is in the wall.. and of course people wanna see a caution. Not a fake one tho.

@dennyhamlin: AND. fyi that debris caution caused over 500k in damage to 10 wrecked racecars at the end of that race. no big deal huh?

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/tom_bowles/07/30/twitter/index.html#ixzz0vLl2fQ5G
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They should start griping about Brian France by name instead of NASCAR in general. Brian is the #1 reason for the current state of the sport.
 
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