Carl Edwards is in a tight spot right now. You�d think that after winning the races held at Fontana and Las Vegas, it would be champagne and party for him and his crew. Well that�s not going to happen. Edwards and his crew apparently violated one of the rules set by NASCAR as a standard for their races, which is to have the car�s oil reservoir cover closed. NASCAR established this rule since an open or loose oil reservoir cover gives the car an aerodynamic advantage, albeit only a slight one. But regardless if it�s just a slight improvement, it still gives the race car driver an unfair edge against its competitors.
This isn�t the only violation of this type this year. Two weeks ago, an inspection was conducted by NASCAR officials and they found out that five nationwide teams violated the same ruling. The teams caught violating this rule was penalized by having 25 points taken away from them and their crew chiefs were suspended for six weeks and fined $15,000. But that�s about it. While NASCAR can impose punishments on the team and its crew, it can�t take away their win despite the violation. What NASCAR plans to do in case something like this occurs again, is to increase the gravity of the punishment to set an example to those who might have plans of violating the oil reservoir cover rule.
While it seems that Edwards got away with this violation since his wins are still secure, the punishment imposed by NASCAR definitely set him back a bit. A 25-point deduction caused him to fall in second at the Sprint Cup standings. Add to that deduction is the six-week suspension of his crew chief, Bob Osborne, the man responsible for helping Edwards win his last two races. Now that�s a big blow right there.
So, to those planning to pull a stunt like this in the near future, just remember the old saying folks: Crime doesn�t pay.
Sources: Espn, Office Depot Racing
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