Newz Forum: AUTO: Earnhardt Jr. admits he spun on purpose.

www.thatsracin.com...

Earnhardt Jr., like a lot of others,
has his own spin on things

By JIM UTTER

ThatsRacin.com Writer

BRISTOL, Tenn. - It was typical Bristol, but with a few new twists.

Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway caused its share of hot tempers, fiery words and involuntary trips to the NASCAR hauler.

The highlights this time:

# Dale Earnhardt Jr. admitted repeatedly after Sunday's race he spun out on purpose on Lap 431 of 500 to prevent from having to pit under green and lose one or more laps.

"I had a loose wheel and I didn't have any choice but to spin the car out to get a caution. So I went down in the corner, had some clear room behind me, and I just spun it out," Earnhardt Jr. said after the race.

"The caution came out, I put the clutch in and got going. What the hell else was I supposed to do? Go a lap down? Go two laps down?"

Earnhardt Jr. also engaged in a profanity-laced exchange with his crew over his radio regarding NASCAR's decision to extend cautions late in the race to blow debris from the track. That earned Earnhardt Jr. a trip to the NASCAR hauler.

His admission of intentionally causing a caution - an act which has been penalized previously by NASCAR - did not seem to raise the ire of series director John Darby.

" 'I spun a car out' - that's a great excuse for spinning a car out, but proving that is another story," Darby said. "To brag about it is not enough for me to make a move on it."


[Edited on 3/29/2004 by crayon]

you would think they would do something to stop racers from doing these things.

Originally posted by samfoshaw
you would think they would do something to stop racers from doing these things.

they have penalized racers for infractions like this before. but according to John Darby it doesn't sound like much is gonna happen. " 'I spun a car out' - that's a great excuse for spinning a car out, but proving that is another story," Darby said. "To brag about it is not enough for me to make a move on it." well here's where the conspiracy theorist in me breaking out (notice the lack of a mention of this incident on NASCAR.com). if it were anyone else they'd break out the penalties, but yet again Jr. get's the free pass.

[Edited on 3-30-2004 by aegis fang]

I read this earlier on a news site and i was a bit shocked,he was bragging about it aswell..That is wrong if they don't do anything about it,everyone knows he did it on purpose.

The 2004 Nextel Cup Rulebook is clear on this issue. Section 12-4 (N) reads, "Any driver who in the judgment of NASCAR officials intentionally causes or attempts to cause a caution condition by stopping or spinning out or any other action: a fine, and/or loss of points, and/or loss of finishing position in event."

In the 2002 Winston all-star race, Kurt Busch admitted after the race he intentionally spun driver Robby Gordon to bring out a caution. Later in the week, NASCAR fined him $10,000 for intentionally wrecking another competitor.


On another note of penalties,...

NASCAR did however reach one decision: They announced that Jamie McMurray was fined $10,000 and placed on probation until Aug. 31 by NASCAR on Tuesday for spinning Matt Kenseth on the "cool down" lap following Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

It seems like a good way to get a caution so that he wouldnt lose the race and many points.

Could this set an example, such as it could be ok for other drivers to do this?

well i don't know if anyone is going to do this, because if it were anyone else they would have been fined and penalized points. it's just one of the perks of being nascars "most popular driver" it's not the first time the rules don't apply to him, and i'm sure it won't be the last. it's one thing to spin on purpose to bring out the caution, my biggest beef is that he bragged about it to anybody that would listen.

the bragging part was the worst, and not real smart....it's bad enough that the rules are not applied equally but to have their noses rubbed in it should fire up some of the other drivers in the series

nascar has said that they will make a ruling on wednesday as to wether dale jr will be penalized for intentionally spinning out to cause a caution in sundays race

www.nascar.com...

Oh you know NASCAR will rule on this. This type of action by a driver cannot be tolerated. Otherweise you will have spinning cars everywhere all the time.

Jr was brazen to tell it, or completely ignorant of what he was actually saying.

Well it's official...

www.nascar.com... dtjr._penalty/index.html

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been penalized 25 NASCAR Nextel Cup championship driver points, fined $10,000 and put on probation until June 1 for intentionally spinning out during Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, NASCAR officials announced Wednesday.


Maybe now he will think before opening his mouth and spilling the beans.

Originally posted by smirkley



Maybe now he will think before opening his mouth and spilling the beans.

I don't think that small miracle will ever happen. But i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Originally posted by smirkley

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been penalized 25 NASCAR Nextel Cup championship driver points,

25 points? Is that the average penalty? That doesnt seem too severe to me, what is that like 5 spots in a race right?

I guess DaleJr still ended up better off, if he hadnt spun out and got the caution he would have got a lap or two down and probably lost more than 25 points. Then again, he should have just kept his trap shut.

Well he should have been penalized,but it doesn't seem to harsh,guess he got off well light then..

I think he was an idiot for shooting his mouth off. Some things are better left un-said.
That being said,I agree with the fine and the probation,but not taking away points. Not when there is only 26 races,points are bigger this year,than in any previous year. He did not cause a wreck,or any other problem,for any driver.
Had he not shot his mouth off,there would not have been any penalty to begin with.
Granted he still fared better losing 25 points,than he would have if he went 2 or 3 laps down,but I don't like the precident it sets. Its not like he intentionally put someone in the wall
I do not want any driver to lose points unless they cause an accident, or just do something really bad.