Now is this justice for Matt?

Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
9 years ago
3,259 posts

I would like to see the rule that states this

NASCAR suspended Matt Kenseth for the NEXT TWO Sprint Cup Series events Tuesday for his role in a crash with Joey Logano late in Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway.
---- NASCAR officials issued no other penalties to the driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota, but did place Kenseth on probation for the next six months.

Kenseth and Logano wrecked on Lap 454 of the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500, with Kenseth's No. 20 entry making heavy contact with Logano's Team Penske No. 22 Ford. The collision carried both cars into the Turn 1 wall, severely damaging both.

The run-in was the latest chapter in escalating tensions between the two rivals during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs. Though Kenseth attempted to blame the crash on a deflated tire or mechanical issue, the altercation was widely perceived to be retaliation for hard racing between the two in recent weeks.

Kenseth was multiple laps down at the time of the incident because of an earlier crash. Logano was out front and had led nearly half of the race to that point. Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer, said Sunday evening that those two factors weighed heavily in the minds of race officials, who parked Kenseth's No. 20 for the rest of the day shortly after the two cars came to rest.

"In our minds, that's a little bit different than two drivers really going after it coming out of Turn 4 for a win versus what happened tonight," O'Donnell said.

Two weeks earlier at Kansas Speedway, Logano pressured and eventually spun Kenseth in a late-race battle for the lead. Logano, having already advanced to the next round in the Chase with a win the previous week at Charlotte, continued on to victory and was unapologetic for his aggressive racing in his post-race remarks.

Kenseth's postseason hopes ended the following week at Talladega Superspeedway, where he said in pre-race interviews that Logano "should have stopped running his mouth, A, and No. 2, he's lying when he said he didn't do it on purpose."

NASCAR instituted its unwritten "boys, have at it" code in 2010, allowing drivers to settle differences amongst themselves with minimal intervention from competition officials. But NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France, in a Tuesday morning appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, said there were limits to how far self-policing should go.

"What we want to prevent happening is drivers or anyone participating in NASCAR to take events into their own hands and control outcomes of races," France said. "That's a very serious thing to us, and we'll be dealing with that."


updated by @johnny-mallonee: 08/12/18 12:58:24PM
Tim Leeming
@tim-leeming
9 years ago
3,119 posts

What it is NOT is justice for Joey. Kenseth should have been banned for the rest of the season instead of being allowed to return for the championship race. He's very fortunate, however, because had it been in my control, he would be banned from NASCAR for life. He is about as lowlife as can be allowed to breathe!




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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

David Elrod
@david-elrod
9 years ago
12 posts

Amen Billy, and Tim I'm sure glad your not in charge. That is just a wee bit drastic.

Jim Streeter
@jim-streeter
9 years ago
242 posts

Things have changed since my first race in 1950. LOL

Tim Leeming
@tim-leeming
9 years ago
3,119 posts

Thanks, David, for reining me in a bit. I know I get extreme at times and my opinionated passions sometimes run wild. I was a little drastic on this. By way of explanation, and not an excuse, I have detested the fact that Toyota was ever allowed in NASCAR. Having been involved in the past with the NFL, I know Coach Joe is not entirely as he claims to be. I have had a strong dislike for Matt Kenseth since he entered the sport and his actions at Kansas got him exactly what he deserved and should have expected. Then to blame Logano for that was reprehensible to me. He is a whiney-butt brat in my opinion and the sport would be better off without him. But I do appreciate you bringing some stability to my volatile attitude. Take care.




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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

Tim Leeming
@tim-leeming
9 years ago
3,119 posts

Jim, hope you're doing well. Yep, things sure have changed. There is hardly a driver in the sport today worthy of carrying your helmet.




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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

Bobby Williamson
@bobby-williamson
9 years ago
907 posts

Toyota's presence in NASCAR may be a sign of things to come....as the search intensifies to replace title sponsor SPRINT (2016) the list of possible, domestic, candidates is slim. The target price ONE BILLION DOLLARS over 10 years may require some high-revving 'international' (non-American) firm.

David Elrod
@david-elrod
9 years ago
12 posts
Tim no need to apologize just because I might disagree with someone's opinion doesn't mean I don't respect it or the person behind the opinion. You keep writing and I'll keep reading.
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
9 years ago
3,259 posts

Driver code more compromised than ever with Kensethsuspension

Denny Hamlin is not happy with NASCARs two-race suspension of Matt Kenseth for intentionally wrecking Joey Logano .

But Hamlinalso is more confused than he was before the punishment was handed down Tuesday to his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.

Minutes after tweetinghis displeasure at the news, Hamlin called into Fox Sports 1s NASCAR Race Hub to expound on his thoughts. That included saying Kenseth was enforcing the unspoken drivers code, which now is more compromised than ever in the wake of the suspension.

Any race car driver thats been doing this long enough understands what driver code is. I feel like the driver code thats been established since racing ever begun, a hundred years ago, that driver code is more compromised than ever, Hamlin said. NASCAR has said in years past and they even said this year, they like the drivers to police themselves.

Hamlin believes that Kenseth, who has been his teammate at JGR since 2013,was policing himself and the drivers code when he crashed Logano into the Turn 1 wall at Martinsville two weeks after Logano spun him in the closing laps at Kansas Speedway while racing for the lead.

When someone does you wrong, they have an opportunity to defuse the situation by a phone call or talking to you after the race, Hamlin says. Anything like that, or talking through the media. Say they made a mistake. I feel like none of that happened, and instead it was kind of like sorry, sorry about your (bad) luck, youre going to have to deal with it and this is how Im handling it.'

Both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon have said Logano could have handled the Kansas outcome better to defuse any potential retaliation.

Hamlin also saidthe rules created by NASCAR are sometimes gray and we dont know what the penalties are each week, I think its kind of more in that line right now.

Hamlin went on to say he believes NASCAR is influenced too much by what is said in the media.

Everyones trying to do their job, but when the media demands some kind of suspension I think they (NASCAR) adhere to that sometimes, Hamlin said. Drivers I think had a very different opinion of this weekend than what media did. It sucks, sometimes I feel like theyre strongly influenced by fans and the media vs. doing what sometimes is the right thing.

By Daniel McFadin

Tim Leeming
@tim-leeming
9 years ago
3,119 posts

Thanks, David. I know there are many people with whom I don't agree on racing issues, politics, or a number of things, but we are all still friends and we all have respect for each other and the differences of opinions. There are some out there for whom it is always THEIR way or no way! That sure limits their options. This issue I have with Matt is that what happened at Kansas was a racing for the lead deal with him blocking and Joey going for it. Matt threw the block, Joey didn't back off that time and, in actuality, Kenseth spun himself. I do think Joey could probably have handled it better but if you go back and look at the interviews after that race, it was Matt saying he had no intention of talking to Joey, he would just take him out at some point. As I said initially, I have never cared for Matt Kenseth and am not a real fan of Logano. I will express this opinion: This conversation between you, David, and me, Tim, has shown more maturity than Kenseth can ever dream of! Good for us!!!!!!!!!!




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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
9 years ago
3,259 posts

ErikJones will drive for the suspended MattKenseth in the No. 20 Toyota in Sunday's NASCAR SprintCup Series AAATexas500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM) at TexasMotorSpeedway , according to a JoeGibbsRacing official.

A series of appeals of Kenseth's two-race suspension were heard on Thursday in Concord, North Carolina. Ultimately, the two-race suspension was upheld.


Jones, 19, filled in for DennyHamlin (in the No. 11 Toyota) in the Bristol spring race in April when neck spasms flared up for Hamlin during a lengthy weather delay at the 0.533-mile track. Jones made his first SprintCup start in May at Kansas for the injured KyleBusch (in the No. 18 Toyota) and was enjoying a nice run until an accident on Lap 196 sent him to a 40th-place finish.

what you all think of this

Tim Leeming
@tim-leeming
9 years ago
3,119 posts

Denny Hamlin is so full of it perhaps he should be sponsored by Roto-Rooter. When Dale, Sr. "rattled Terry Labonte's cage, was he apologetic? I don't recall him being so. Seems he used the "rattling cage" reference in the victory lane interview. When Dale did it again, Terry slid across the line first so Sr. had nothing much to say. What about Daytona, 1976, hard racing and both Petty and Pearson crashed but I don't recall either Richard or David complaining. The 1979 Daytona 500 fight was the talk of the press, and had there not been the fight, it would have been hard racing. How about when the "holier than thou" Kenseth put the bumper to Jeff Gordon at Bristol, it was ok, wasn't it Matt? Your attempt to "apologize" to Jeffy was rebuked, as it should have been.

All this B.S. going around about a "Driver's Code" is coming from the mouths of the self-perceived righteous few who side with Kenseth. It is an absolute, incontrovertible fact that what happened at Kansas was Matt blocking and Joey moving him for the win. What happened at Martinsville was downright chicken-s**t racing on the part of the cheese head. As I've said, I'm not particularly a Logano fan but all this talk about what he should have said or should have done after the Kansas incident is silly. Since Joey came into the sport he has been the source of jokes and negative comments. He is standing up for himself now and some folks just can't handle it.

I don't mind seeing good hard racing FOR THE LEAD, cause spins or whatever, as long as no driver is hurt, but what Kenseth did is inexcusable. I had very little respect for him prior to Martinsville, but even what little that was is gone.

As for NASCAR be criticized for their "inconsistency" in decisions, I truly don't recall any driver ever being 10 laps down intentionally taking out the leader. But then the race drivers I grew up watching did have a "Code of Honor" which is sorely no longer in existence. The only "Code" now is the "Code" of the dollar sign. I don't think NASCAR was inconsistent, I think they felt they had to do something to control the pin-head drivers who can justify what Kenseth did. I really don't especially like siding with NASCAR, but this time they got it right.

So, all you old timers, think about this: If you can't handle what Joey did at Kansas, then you must not have fond memories of Dale, Sr. If you CAN handle what Matt did at Martinsville, then thatis a good sign of why racing is in the failing state it is.




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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
9 years ago
9,137 posts

I have never been in to drivers "apologizing." Suck it up and take care of business. This media crud about who has gotten a phone call from the guy who tapped him is weenie stuff. Just race.




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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"