Open Season On The Track? I Think Not

No matter where you go, you see it all over the ‘net. “If they let Carl Edwards off like this, what’s next?” “A driver’s gonna get killed, or even worse, a fan!” “It’s open season on the track!!!!”

Like all the other doomsday predictions I read on NASCAR-related websites, this too, shall not come to pass. Allow me to explain.

First of all- the drivers won’t let it happen. What? It was a rogue driver that made it happen! For one thing, right or wrong, I think Brad Keselowski got a loud and clear message concerning his standing among the veteran drivers. It may have been Carl Edwards that pulled the trigger, but you’d better believe there were more than a few that would have loved the opportunity. I have no doubt that the young Michigan man will be thinking just a split second longer before he tries threading a needle he shouldn’t.

As for Edwards, I think he had his “Oh snap!” moment. Yes, I’ll concede he’s got a hair trigger temper, and if he hasn’t learned his lesson yet, he’d better before it, at the very least, it costs him his career. More on that later. As it is now, Edwards has a growing list of adversaries, some of whom bear no fear of the guy behind the “99.” Does the name Kevin Harvick ring a bell?

Did you read John “Dawg” Chapman’s article featuring that Randy Lajoie quote? That’s another reason you won’t see those so-called rivalries getting out of hand. These guys have to pretty much live together in this traveling carnival. I mean, look at some of the old rivalries among current drivers. On any given Friday, you’ll see Tony Stewart hanging out with Jeff Gordon. Just last Friday, there’s a nice little picture of Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch making small talk. Kurt Busch won’t likely be getting a Christmas card from Smoke, and I doubt his little brother will ever have much to do with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., but speaking of the younger Busch, I recall him calling former sparring partner Edwards his “BFF.” Heck, in this day and age of perpertual “Silly Season,” you never know when one of these dudes might be your teammate someday. Could you have ever imagined back in the day that the son of one of NASCAR’s most pugilistic legends, would be a teammate of one of his last great rivals? For the most part, it just doesn’t pay to get to nasty with one another. Furthermore, if you look at Lajoie’s remarks, there’s little incentive financially to move somebody out of the way to move up one spot.

Speaking of thuggery (real or imagined), the sponsors won’t let it happen. Does it not strike you as ironic that this latest brouhaha featured one of NASCAR’s most marketable drivers? When sponsors have been leaving one driver for another, where have they been going? To Mr. Pepsodent.

Now imagine you are the marketing manager or advertising agency for Aflac, Scott’s, or Subway. What do you think your response would be to a “nasty gram” from a disgruntled fan? Well, I’ll tell you now, a reader got a response from an executive representing one of Edwards’ sponsors. They took the time to contact me, to let me, and I’m sure other media members know that this incident hasn’t gone unnoticed. Read that, the dude is in hot water. Their letter states that they see the driver as an ambassador, and you can read that to say they take a dim view of one of their ambassadors behaving badly in public view.

Frankly, I’ve said one of the reasons why this sport has gotten a bit vanilla is because drivers don’t want to jeopardize sponsor relationships, especially not in this climate. Now if you sign on with Kyle Busch, Robby Gordon, Kevin Harvick, or one of those guys, you know you’re getting a guy who might pop off verbally, or maybe even “pop” a driver, a la Curtis “Pops” Turner once in a while. In spite of his growing reputation among serious fans, Edwards has cultivated that Opie Taylor, Mr. Positive image a la Jimmie Johnson. After this week’s incident, Edwards’ visage has been on everything from the Weather Channel to ABC Evening News. Regardless of whether or not he decided to flip Kez, you’d better believe Edwards has zoomed to the top of the “Bad Boy” charts, and he’ll hear boos like he’s never heard before. Unlike, Kyle, Cousin Carl won’t like it. I really think Edwards regretted hitting Keselowski the minute he saw the “12″ car flip. I’m certain he breathed a sigh of relief when Keselowski walked away.

If there’s ever another run in between Carl and Keselowski, I’d bet it would be because Brad initiates it, because frankly, I don’t think Edwards will want any part of Keselowski now- after all the fallout. But you know what? It’s not gonna happen. Oh, there’ll be bumping and banging between other drivers, and maybe even the principles in this conflict. The difference is now, you’re not going to see NASCAR over-legislating the regulation of it.

Without naming names, I can think of at least one driver who pretty much mortgaged his career of racing in quality cars away because he couldn’t keep his nose clean, even his reputation was as much about perception as it was reality. You may think your opinion may not matter, but this season has been replete with examples of you, the fan, getting NASCAR’s attention. Furthermore, I see evidence you have corporate America’s attention, and you’ve always had the driver’s attention.

Time will tell whether or not I’m wrong. Even with all this aside, the wing, which played a part in Keselowski flipping is going away as well. I’ve always been more a free market kind of guy, a little bit on the Libertarian in some of my views. I think one reason NASCAR didn’t have to step in more heavily, is because they knew they didn’t have to.

You may think the brass at NASCAR may be crazy, but this may be an instance where they were crazy like a fox. I bet we’ll see where Carl Edwards has learned his lesson- thanks to the sponsors, the fans, and if it continues, let us remember well what happened to Kurt Busch. Jack Roush may be a patient man, but he won’t suffer foolishness for long.