NASCAR

FOX Sports Exclusive

Non-Chasers have no responsibility to back off

Share This Story

foxsports admin

 
Updated Oct 6, 2009 8:02 PM ET
     
 
When rookie Brad Keselowski leaned a little too hard on Juan Pablo Montoya, a contender in the Chase for The Sprint Cup, during Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway, NASCAR officials were not too pleased. In fact, they radioed Keselowski's team, warning him about racing Montoya and other championship contenders too hard in the middle of the race. In essence, NASCAR was telling Keselowski to back off, cut the Chase contenders some slack and race them differently than other competitors. Fortunately, Keselowski laughed it off and paid little attention to the warning. "I thought it was kind of funny," Keselowski said. "(Crew chief Tony Eury Jr.) just told me NASCAR wanted me to be mindful. I thought (Montoya) needed to be mindful of me. He's the one who hit me. I didn't really change the way I raced him." Though it's always risky to buck NASCAR officials, Keselowski was right to ignore the warning. And NASCAR officials were wrong to issue it. NASCAR understandably doesn't want to see one of its Chase contenders taken out by an aggressive driver not in the championship hunt. And it would indeed be a shame to see the Chase decided by such an incident. But that's part of racing, and NASCAR has no business trying to manipulate the action to prevent it from happening. If NASCAR is going to put 43 cars and 43 drivers on the track during the Chase, it has to expect all 43 to race as hard as possible, no matter who they are battling for position. Those who don't shouldn't be on the track. NASCAR constantly promotes its top series as the best racing in the world and legislates the sport to enhance competition on the track. Throughout its history, it has manipulated the rules to increase competition and create a level playing field. It can't ask its drivers to do the opposite just because a championship is on the line. To do so is unfair to the whole field and could diminish the product on the track.

The top drivers and championship contenders deserve a certain amount of respect — and are usually afforded such — but they should also have to race everyone on the track, regardless of whether they are top contenders or not. Asking drivers not in the Chase to back off and race differently against the championship contenders is as ridiculous as the NFL constantly trying to protect and coddle quarterbacks. Football is a dangerous game that features violent collisions. Players are trained to physically take down the opposition, and hard hits are what make it worth watching. Injuries are part of the game and asking players to ease up and not hit the star quarterback too hard is absurd. And penalizing them for "roughing" the quarterback is a constant source of controversy. It's just as absurd for NASCAR to ask any driver in any race not to race too hard, regardless of the circumstances. There are some drivers who are smarter than others, and some who know when to back off and not force the issue. Those are generally rewarded for the respect they show fellow drivers. But there are also drivers who are going to race wide-open every single lap. It is those drivers who excite fans most and help turn sometimes-dull events into thrilling spectacles. Every driver should make his own decision about how hard he is going to race one of the Chase contenders. That decision should be based on his own circumstances and his own relationship with that driver or team, not a directive from NASCAR officials. Every driver in every race is racing for something, whether it's prize money, a points position, sponsorship or a job. Every driver has something at stake, and he must race every lap as hard as reasonably possible. That's why it's called racing and why NASCAR does indeed have the best competition and the best form of motorsports in the world. Asking any of its competitors to do anything differently threatens to diminish that.

downlevel description
This video requires the Adobe Flash Player. Download a free version of the player.
Keselowski is a talented young driver trying to prove himself. He has won both Cup and Nationwide races this year and has landed a lucrative ride at Penske Racing for next season. He is trying to prove he belongs in NASCAR's top series. He pulled a stunning upset early this year, winning the Cup race at Talladega when he bumped Carl Edwards on the final lap, sending Edwards' car sailing into the fence. It was a thrilling finish and one of the most memorable moments of this season. Would it have happened had the same scenario played out during the Chase? Not if Keselowski was forced by NASCAR officials to back off and not race Edwards, a Chase contender, so hard. Sure, it was the last lap at Talladega, when all bets are off, but Keselowski might not have been in contention at all had he been forced to back off and not race hard earlier in the event. The same rules should apply during the Chase. Keselowski should be allowed to race every driver on the track as hard as he can, and the Chase contenders should expect it. They earned a spot in the Chase by racing just as hard and by fending off such challenges. Every race features road blocks and obstacles, some from slower drivers who won't, or can't, get out of the way. Top drivers know how to deal with such issues and overcome them. Winning a NASCAR Cup championship is about survival, surviving the first 26 races to get into the Chase and then surviving a mad, 10-race sprint to the finish. The driver who wins the championship, and those who are in contention until the very end, should be the ones who succeed at dealing with whatever comes their way, even if it's aggravating, non-Chase drivers racing them too hard or getting in the way. "I will race every guy on the race track the same as they race me ... regardless of whether they're in the Chase," Keselowski said. Every driver on the track should do the same.

Jeff Owens is a writer for NASCAR Scene, which is published weekly, 46 weeks per year. Visit www.scenedaily.com for more information.

Tagged: Juan Pablo Montoya, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski

More Stories From foxsports admin

Fantasy Auto Racing


Trending Now

Stories | Photos | Lists | Videos

NASCAR Videos

DW remembers Earnhardt Posted: Feb 10, 2012
NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip reflects on Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and previews the D...

NASCAR Drive for Diversity Posted: Feb 09, 2012
Meet the new class for NASCAR's 2012 Drive for Diversity Team.

Tire Testing in Texas Posted: Feb 09, 2012
Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, and Greg Biffle talk about testing new ...

MORE FOXSPORTS VIDEO »

Fox Sports Store

    itemName itemURL imageSrc price itemDescription
    Jeff Gordon Black Low Rider Adjustable Hat http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Jeff_Gordon/browse/featuredproduct/603017/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_603000/ff_603017_xl.jpg&w=100 21.95 Jeff Gordon Black Low Rider Adjustable Hat
    Juan Pablo Montoya Black Black Out Adjustable Hat http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Juan_Pablo_Montoya/browse/featuredproduct/603057/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_603000/ff_603057_xl.jpg&w=100 21.95 Juan Pablo Montoya Black Black Out Adjustable Hat
    Joey Logano Orange Exhaust Flames Adjustable Hat http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Joey_Logano/browse/featuredproduct/603115/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_603000/ff_603115_xl.jpg&w=100 21.95 Joey Logano Orange Exhaust Flames Adjustable Hat
    Checkered Flag Juan Pablo Montoya Red Exhaust Flames Adjustable Hat http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Juan_Pablo_Montoya/browse/featuredproduct/603117/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_603000/ff_603117_xl.jpg&w=100 21.95 Checkered Flag Juan Pablo Montoya Red Exhaust Flames Adjustable Hat
    Dale Earnhardt Jr. Royal Blue Exhaust Flames Adjustable Hat http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Dale_Earnhardt_Jr/browse/featuredproduct/616723/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_616000/ff_616723_xl.jpg&w=100 21.95 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Royal Blue Exhaust Flames Adjustable Hat
    Chase Authentics Jeff Burton Holiday Driver T-Shirt - Black http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Jeff_Burton/browse/featuredproduct/731363/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_731000/ff_731363_xl.jpg&w=100 23.95 Chase Authentics Jeff Burton Holiday Driver T-Shirt - Black
    Chase Authentics Jeff Burton 2012 Driver Schedule T-Shirt - Black http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Jeff_Burton/browse/featuredproduct/731374/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_731000/ff_731374_xl.jpg&w=100 23.95 Chase Authentics Jeff Burton 2012 Driver Schedule T-Shirt - Black
    Chase Authentics Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2012 Driver Schedule T-Shirt - Black http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Dale_Earnhardt_Jr/browse/featuredproduct/731376/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_731000/ff_731376_xl.jpg&w=100 23.95 Chase Authentics Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2012 Driver Schedule T-Shirt - Black
    Chase Authentics Kevin Harvick 2012 Driver Schedule T-Shirt - Black http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Kevin_Harvick/browse/featuredproduct/731378/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_731000/ff_731378_xl.jpg&w=100 23.95 Chase Authentics Kevin Harvick 2012 Driver Schedule T-Shirt - Black
    Chase Authentics Matt Kenseth 2012 Driver Schedule T-Shirt - Black http://www.foxsportsshop.com/FOX_Matt_Kenseth/browse/featuredproduct/731380/source/prsp_ca http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_731000/ff_731380_xl.jpg&w=100 23.95 Chase Authentics Matt Kenseth 2012 Driver Schedule T-Shirt - Black
Microsoft© 2012 Microsoft