by Darrell Waltrip

Around the track

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• Chicagoland practice speeds
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Picture perfect:

• Earnhardt at Goodwood
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Read all about it:

• Dale Jr. would consider racing Indy 500
• Eury Jr.: Split with Junior was needed
• Mayfield won't race at Chicagoland

Analysis:

• Hammond: Battle Royale
• Larry Mac: Midseason report cards

Some of these rule infractions that these teams are being hit with these days are a little bit over the top in my mind. Peyton Sellers and Andy Santerre are two of the most upright guys I have known in my life. Andy and his wife Sue are two of the hardest working people to ever work on, sit in, or own a race car. It's the same way with Peyton. He and his brother worked on their own stuff and he finally gets a good break to drive for Andy and wins the Camping World East Series race in South Carolina.

But during post-race inspection, NASCAR finds an issue with a shock absorber on Peyton's car. NASCAR then made the No. 44 team forfeit the season-opening win in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. They also gave the team points for 30th place. Per NASCAR, this decision cannot be appealed. Additionally, crew chief H.C. Sellers has been banned from the next three NASCAR Camping World East Series events.

Now here's my problem folks — hear me out. The car gets to the race track and is unloaded. Everybody is looking it over. Everybody looks at everybody's stuff. If there is something out of line, you can bet your bottom dollar that some competitor is running to a NASCAR inspector to blow the whistle. That's part of the initial inspection, that visual thing.

The next part of it is that you go through technical inspection. Your car is looked at before a race. It's looked at before you qualify. It's rolled back through tech before you race it and then it's put on the line. You know that little sticker you see on the windshield of a race car? That sticker means the car has been inspected by NASCAR and is legal to race, end of story.

That's my problem. You find something on a car before the race, before it goes on the track that is illegal, blatantly trying to do something that shouldn't be done or trying to pull the wool over someone's eyes — well, then it needs to be taken away. The car gets repaired and then goes back through tech again so that it's cleared to race.

The thing that gives me heartburn is being disqualified after a race like Andy's car was after it had already gone through tech and been approved to race by NASCAR. I think that's wrong. I think you are putting the entire burden on the team and no responsibility on NASCAR or NASCAR inspectors. If there is something in a shock absorber that can get you disqualified from a race, then that shock absorber needs to be inspected before the race, not after it. If there is something about that car that can get you disqualified after a race and a win taken away because it was over looked, that's just wrong.

Fines and points are one thing. If NASCAR overlooked it and then they caught the infraction after the fact, fining and taking points away is one thing. Unless it's a blatant and flagrant violation of a rule, taking wins away is the wrong way to go in my opinion. People have argued that for years. There were times in the past when I was the victim and thought it should be that way, but in all honesty, if that car goes through tech and is cleared to race, then that's the end of the story.

I just feel bad for Andy and Peyton. They are upright folk. Andy would never cheat intentionally. It seems sometimes people like that are made an example of when, in fact, they should be given a break.

I know, I know, I know. You are saying that I am looking at this all wrong. But I am a racer, a competitor and I have been there and know what it's like. I just think it's wrong to take wins away from guys. I haven't always felt that way, but when I look at the total picture in this case, that's my final conclusion.

Oh, by the way

If this is the message being sent to all the NASCAR series — Cup, Nationwide, Trucks and on down the line — that this is the way it's going to be from now on, then that may not be all bad. If this is the beginning of drawing a line in the sand that says if you cheat, you get the win taken away from you no if, ands or buts, then that's a different story.

However, if this is a one-off, one-time, try to make an example out of somebody deal, then that's not so good. Let's see where this goes the next time someone in the bigger series has something come up illegal after a race like a shock absorber. Let's see if they take the win away from them. Then we will know if this has any bite in it or not.