The Pits: Retaliate or Hold Back and The Lines Between Right and Wrong

There’s comes a point in every drivers’ career where they will bump heads with another driver. Sometimes it’s just for a single race or two. It could even last for months on end. In this case, it has carried over since last year.

Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski seem to meet up more often than not on the track. Whether it’s deemed permissable or not is a whole other matter. The two swapped paint several weeks ago at Atlanta, resulting in Edwards being forced in to the garage early on in the race. After his repairs where finished, Edwards set out only to achieve one thing. Payback.

Carl and Brad were side by side again heading down the front stretch when Edwards inadvertently spun Keselowski out, sending him airborne. Brad’s car slammed against the fence and landed upside down, sliding down the track. It finally came to a stop with one side of the roof completely caved in.

NASCAR, before this year’s series began, came out with a controversial policy, “Have at it, boys,” which allows the drivers to police themselves and allows some of the lost emotion to come back into the sport. But let’s face the facts here. Regardless of these two drivers and their apparent feud, there needs to be a line drawn. NASCAR stood around afterward seemingly with their hands in their pockets, unwilling to punish Carl. Though he did receive a probation, its unlikely it’ll truly hit home with him.

Several drivers feel that a suspension was suitable for Edwards’ actions at Atlanta. Kevin Harvick went as far as to say Carl is “as fake as hell.”

Though the two drivers have met with NASCAR and further discussed the ongoing dilemma between them, it doesn’t appear either of them have forgiven the other. Yes, they came out smiling and waving after the talks. There weren’t any attacks this past week at Bristol between Edwards and Keselowski. NASCAR shouldn’t just allow such things to happen. “Have at it, boys” doesn’t mean”‘Trade paint, demolition style.” Racing is a great sport filled with memories for all generations. Bumping is a part of racing, sure, but aiming to knock out a fellow driver just because he may have bumped you is not. Neither is wanting to get him just because his character rubs you the wrong way. That shouldn’t be allowed at all. NASCAR needs to really sit down and rethink this whole drivers police themselves idea because it’ll end up destroying the sport fans have come to love.