[Team Yates]

Edwards given fine, probation for MIS actions

No points taken for post-race altercation with Earnhardt Jr.

NASCAR News Release
August 22, 2006
03:42 PM EDT (19:42 GMT)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR announced Tuesday that Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 60 Ford in the NASCAR Busch Series, has been fined and placed on probation due to a rule violation at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 19.
Edwards was fined $20,000 for violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing: hitting another competitor's car after the completion of the race) of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book.
He was also placed on probation until Dec. 31.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. slammed into the rear end of Edwards' No. 60 Ford early in a green-white-checkered finish in Saturday's Carfax 250, sending Edwards spinning down the track and nearly taking Gordon with him. That gave two-time Busch champion Earnhardt his second Busch win in four starts this season and the 22nd of his career.
Edwards first drove onto pit road and momentarily parked in Earnhardt's pit. Then he drove back onto the track as the field drove slowly by behind the pace car, banging hard into the side of Earnhardt's No. 8 Chevrolet.
"I didn't mean to spin him out. I don't go around wrecking people," Earnhardt said. "I wouldn't have waited two years to get back at him for wrecking me in Atlanta in 2004 pretty much the same way.
"We got a run off that corner, and Carl just got sideways and he wasn't in the gas. I guess he was pretty mad at me, but there wasn't much I could do."
Earnhardt, the most popular driver in NASCAR, was loudly booed by the crowd when replays showed on the big screens as he got to Victory Lane.
Asked if he saw Edwards coming off pit road, Earnhardt shook his head and said, "I had my hand out the window. He could have taken my hand off. But he didn't. Pretty stupid. That was just rude."
Edwards, who was called to the NASCAR hauler after the race, appeared to have cooled down considerably after getting out of his car. "He just wrecked me off [Turn] 2," Edwards said. "I just wanted to make sure he knew I was mad that he wrecked me. It's racing."

[flip499]

I love Carl Edwards, he is one of my favorite drivers....with that said i do believe what he did was stupid and to me nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum, I feel that Nascar is always on Carl EDwards back about something, but my question is that was Jeff Gordon doing something like that would he have been fined...i tend to doubt it....yes i am not a jeff gordon fan as you can see and i am new to the whole NAscar world so i am only forming an opinion on what i have read and seen . I hope not to offend anyone.

[3829]

welcom to gtg flip

well i didnt get to see the race, but from what i have heard it sounds like edwards deserves the fine.

I dont wanna offend anyone, but i dont like edwards, he isnt crap, i am the crew chief for my friend Larry Jones and we used to beat edwards all the time on the dirt, edwards just got lucky and had someone see him race. no doubt that he is a good driver, but he is just like most of nascars starts nowadays rich parents and decent drivers.

[stephanie]

hey flip i love your ur name!!! yeah i know what ya mean carl is one of my favorite drivers too, i loved it when they booed jr. that was cool

[wardfan]

that small fine & probation mean absolutely nothing. Why did NASCAR even bother.

[Quality88]

There has been a couple times this year that Nascar has screwed Carl, however he was out of line saturday.

[flip499]

Originally Posted by Quality88

There has been a couple times this year that Nascar has screwed Carl, however he was out of line saturday.

I agree with you 100% quality88..

[Nevadastars]

Originally Posted by wardfan

that small fine & probation mean absolutely nothing. Why did NASCAR even bother.

Yea, especially after saying they were going to get tough on that type of activity. $20k and no points is a minor slap on the wrist for these muti-millionaires. It's like a parking violation to the Average Joe.

[TN_Gal]

Yes.. Carl acted in an unsportsman-like manner. The fines, probabtion that NASCAR hands out are a joke ..they give the appearance of discipline yet allow this type of retaliation to continue. These guys should handle things in "other" venues. Like fistacuffs behind the hauler.

I do think if Carl had done what he did DURING a race, insted of AFTER the end of a race the penalty would have also included an agressive driving charge...wwoooo-whooooo, now I'm shaking.

The best part and I didn't even know it until I read the article in post #1 was that CARL TEMPORARILY SAT IN JR'S PIT BOX.........AAAAAAAH, THAT IS GREAT....DID JR'S PIT CREW RUN AWAY??? NOW THAT I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEEN ON TV.....

[Wisconsin11Fan]

Agreed, why did Helton & Company even bother. The only way these incidents will decrease is if the penalties handed out actually "hurt" the perpetrator. Of course, it is obvious that Helton & Company didn't want to hurt Eddie Haskel's already long-shot chances of making the Chase. Now that I type that, I wonder. Is the 99 mathematically eliminated yet? Hadn't checked lately.

[WVGrandma4Kasey]

Originally Posted by TN_Gal

Yes.. Carl acted in an unsportsman-like manner. The fines, probabtion that NASCAR hands out are a joke ..they give the appearance of discipline yet allow this type of retaliation to continue. These guys should handle things in "other" venues. Like fistacuffs behind the hauler.

I do think if Carl had done what he did DURING a race, insted of AFTER the end of a race the penalty would have also included an agressive driving charge...wwoooo-whooooo, now I'm shaking.

The best part and I didn't even know it until I read the article in post #1 was that CARL TEMPORARILY SAT IN JR'S PIT BOX.........AAAAAAAH, THAT IS GREAT....DID JR'S PIT CREW RUN AWAY??? NOW THAT I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEEN ON TV.....

Exactly what I would of said if you hadn't beat me to it. he he he

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by flip499

I love Carl Edwards, he is one of my favorite drivers....with that said i do believe what he did was stupid and to me nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum, I feel that Nascar is always on Carl EDwards back about something, but my question is that was Jeff Gordon doing something like that would he have been fined...i tend to doubt it....yes i am not a jeff gordon fan as you can see and i am new to the whole NAscar world so i am only forming an opinion on what i have read and seen . I hope not to offend anyone.

I'm sorry but you cannot safely have a temper tantrum in these types of vehicles. In the public roadways it is called road rage.

[OrangeFuzzyVols]

I’m an Edwards fan, but hated seeing him throw that ‘tantrum’ as was stated earlier. That kind of behavior is precisely why I can’t stand Tony Stewart. The difference is, Carl will learn from this, feel bad about it, and control himself better next time. I hope.
Being Orange-Blooded, I really wanted to be a Tony Stewart fan (HD Orange and White car) once upon a time. I won’t even shop at Home Depot now.

[candlejack]

Since this happened during a Busch race, Carl would have been deducted Busch points. Kevin Harvick is running away with that championship, so what good would it do to take Busch points away from Carl? He is on probation for all of NASCAR happenings: Nextel, Busch, and Craftsman. Anything out of line and the "book" should be thrown at him.