- NASCAR handed out harsh penalties to Matt Kenseth%27s team on Wednesday
- A NASCAR official said the sanctioning body was unwilling to judge intent solely on legality.
- Joe Gibbs Racing appeals decision
RICHMOND, Va. – NASCAR isn’t wavering in the face of garage criticism over the harsh penalty handed down to Matt Kenseth’s team.
NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said Friday that the sanctioning body is responsible for “regulating the rules,” not judging the intent or performance enhancement of infractions.
That’s why NASCAR crushed Kenseth’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car with penalties Wednesday, including a 50-point deduction, a $200,000 fine and a six-race suspension for crew chief Jason Ratcliff , among other sanctions.
Pemberton compared the penalty to a car speeding down pit road.
“When a guy … exceeds pit road speed by 6 mph and hasn’t gained any positions, he’s still exceeded what we set for a speed parameter,” Pemberton said. “He gets a penalty.”
Crew chief Jason Ratcliff said Friday that “the spirit of the law had not been compromised” because it was an error that did not provide a performance advantage.
“I respect the rules, I respect NASCAR’s position on this, but at the same time there’s absolutely no competitive advantage,” Ratcliff said. “From that point of view, when you look at the decisions and the sanctions, it’s over the top.”
But Pemberton said competitors since NASCAR’s inception have understood that three key areas shouldn’t be messed with: engines, fuel and tires. Penalties are not specified in the rulebook, but the specifications of different rooms and pieces are.
“We feel like we’re consistent, but not every violation is exactly the same,” Pemberton said. “We’re doing the best we can and we think we’re doing a good job interpreting the rules and imposing the penalties they deserve.”
Pemberton said NASCAR cannot and will not penalize suppliers who provide illegal parts because that is the team’s responsibility – even though Ratcliff and Gibbs’ crew never examined the engine before putting it on get in the car (that’s the job of Toyota Racing Development).
NASCAR will not allow any intent argument to infiltrate its penalty decision-making.
“I don’t want to be so cold-blooded about it, but it is what it is,” Pemberton said. “That’s why these parameters are brought into play. They know in advance where they are supposed to be.”
Follow Jeff Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck
