Daytona Rules infractions

The past seven days at Daytona International Speedway have not been kind to the sport of nascar. Last Sunday after qualifying for this Sundays Daytona 500 concluded, four drivers and crews were fined and suspended for rules infractions. Crew chiefs for drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliot Sadler, Matt Kenseth, and Scott Riggs were fined and suspended for rules violations involving the aerodynamcis of their cars.

On Wednesday, Michael Waltrips crew chief was fined and suspended indefinetly after a foreign substance was found in the engine of Waltrips car. And just yesterday, four-time nascar champion Jeff Gordon was forced to start 42nd in Sundays because his car failed inspection after a victory in his 150 mile qualifying race.

The irony in all this is the difference in the punishments for these incidents. Kahne, Sadler, Kenseth and Riggs had their crew chiefs suspended and were docked 100 points each in the drivers standings. Gordon, who has been a top driver on the circut for over a decade now, was not finded or docked points.

There is a double standard here. I saw it happen when the late Dale Earnhardt was in the prime of his career. I remember a specific incident that took place during the 1993 season. Earnhardt was accused of causing a wreck, and was ordered to go to the back of the field, but remained on the lead lap. A less successful driver was accused of the same infraction, and was forced to go a lap down.

Rules infractions should be handled the same no matter what the infraction or who the driver is.