I understand why NASCAR held their fines to what was handed out this time. They have set a precedent in the past, and now they’re going to stick to it. The drivers can now flip through their wallets before they do something, and figure out if they can afford it. Mr. Helton, fines are worthless. Fining Jeff Gordon is a few pennies out of his wallet, while fining a lesser driver could shut down his shop. There’s no way to fairly level that playing field. Parking a car totally is a good penalty for the driver, but not for the fans.

Points are where it’s at. But does Robby Gordon (or any one else mathematically eliminated by the Chase) really give a sh!# about a few points? (oops!, almost. No 10 second delay on the blog.) The difference between 1st and 10th is 46 points (not including any bonus points), this should be the minimum sentence. Anyone who can’t act professionally shouldn’t get a top 10 finish; a 46 point deduction would guarantee that.

Probation should mean you’ve got to race your way into every race on time. No one, not even the best drivers wants that hanging over them. Just a one race probation could strike fear into any of these guys, make it five and they’ll cry like a 3 year old girl. That could add up to a huge points hit if you scrape a wall during the next week’s qualifying. But now it’s the drivers fault, not NASCARs. (you like that, Mike?)

If you really need to see fights on the race track, find and go to your local Late Model/Grand Stock race. Tickets and beer are a lot cheaper, they need the attendance, and you’ll get your freak show there. And that’s a guarantee. You might even be able to participate; let’s see Track Pass® do that.