It doesn't have to be difficult. It's not that hard on the short tracksof the world. In fact, it's not that difficult to understand in the realworld.
You do the crime . . . you do the time.
NASCAR has cracked downon those who may bend the rules beyond the breaking point. Threecrewchiefs were faced with sanctions for alleged violations. The wordalleged is necessary because we are all innocent until proven guilty.That's the way it is supposed to be. Two of three crewchiefs had theirdays in court and the penalties were lessened. The third found noreduction in sentence, leading some to believe the rules were enforcedinconsistently. Again, it's allegation.
The uproar has been building.Every week, some crewchief is fined for something, usually "actionsdetrimental to stock car racing." That's a pretty broad sword, isn't it?In some cases, it's the use of unapproved parts. In other cases, youhave to wonder why they weren't caught in the pre-race inspectionprocess.
The tech officials are not the bad guys here, but they are theones entrusted with doing a job. The crewchiefs, for their part, have ajob to do and that is to create the best possible car for the driver toperform. Rules serve as the common ground between the two sides, and theinterpretation can rest with the side of the fence at which you happento be looking.
The major leagues of racing have put themselves into alofty position, which creates a ticklish situation when cheating isalleged. Multi-million dollar sponsors are connected to the successesand failures of the race teams they sponsor. The adage of "Win onSunday, Sell on Monday" now applies more to hardware stores, deliveryservices, and breweries than to automakers.
With the high profile, thesanction must tread lightly when considering action. The weeklyshort-track racing world doesn't have to live under a microscope and, assuch, can be seemingly more consistent in punishing those who stepoutside the boundaries. Now, short tracks are not without reproach onthis matter. Each weekend, there are cases where the crime may have beenoverpunished due to a vendetta or blatant favoritism. That's anotherissue altogether. The reality is the short tracks will tend to punishquicker and more effectively.
When was the last time a NASCAR rulesviolator had the finish stripped away, and I mean all the way, to thebottom? We see that happen all the time in the short tracks. The words"no points, no pay" carry some meaning at a short-track driver'smeeting. It may not be enough to stop some people, but if enforcedfairly and consistently, everyone eventually gets it.
Punishing aviolator in a NASCAR Cup, Busch, or Truck event could result in the lossof thousands (and in some cases, millions) of dollars, not to mention100 points or more. That hurts. Would you want to be the guy responsiblefor that happening? I didn't think so. Racing has always been aboutpushing the envelope, developing the competitive edge, and shorteningthe path to Victory Lane. That's not going to change anytime soon, butwhat has to change is how it is perceived. Fining millionaires doesn'thave the impact of sitting a racer who does it for fun and can't do itfor a couple of weeks. Taking a handful of points away can bedevastating, but not to the magnitude of Last Place in the runningorder. If you move everybody to Last Place, you don't have todifferentiate between an infraction that takes 25 points and aninfraction that results in a 50-point loss. It's just a case of making arule clear. It goes something like "If you are caught in violation ofany of these rules, you will (pick your punishment) . . ."
The word ofthe official should be law. If you don't have faith and confidence inthe official, get a new one. A man can't do his job if he doesn't havethe support of those in charge. When the man checking the car iswondering why he even bothers, the door is open for the rules to bendlike never before.
If you're going to go to the trouble of making rules,make them stick. If they are not enforced, they are not effective.Short-track racers learned that a long time ago.