I usually side with NASCAR when it comes to the way they officiate the sport. After all I learned a long time ago from one the greatest men I ever met, Mr. Jim Hunter, that the folks who run NASCAR are nothing more than fans that get to work inside the sport. He told me that they want nothing more than a level and fair playing field. And for years I believed that sincerely.
Not so much anymore.
The events that have transpired since the race at Richmond last Saturday night have undoubtedly tested those tasked with officiating NASCAR. Although we will never hear about it, there was no doubt many behind the scenes meetings and phone calls along with much handwringing that led to the decision to bump Martin Truex Jr. from the Chase and put Ryan Newman in. After all it was an unprecedented situation that’s never happened in the history of the Chase that dates back to 2004. NASCAR obviously felt that there was enough evidence to penalize the MWR team for manipulating the end of a race and thus the Chase, so they acted. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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