NASCAR: Is Another Tragedy Necessary Before You Act?   September 25, 2007 Jay Staton – SCR   Get well soon Art Harris - and pray that your near fatal accident will wake up the makers of seemingly endless and mindless rules -most made after the fact to cover the latest “ruling” from the previous Sunday.   I was in Atlanta attending a race in the mid 1970’s when a newbie independent ran out of gas and coasted down pit road at better than 100 mph (long before pit road speeds were mandated). As he approached his pit, an equally novice member of his crew went over the wall with his pit board. The driver let out the clutch in an attempt to re-start the car, which threw it into a slide. It struck the hapless crewman sideways at approximately 40 mph, launching him like a rag doll 50 feet through the air. A pit crew where he landed leapt to his aid and began CPR, but he was dead when he hit the ground. He was only sixteen years of age…   In 1990 that gruesome scenario played out again, and finally resulted in the rules to slow the cars down on pit road.   For years this alleviated the problem, but as of late, “incidents” have been on the increase once again, several occurring this year alone.   The reason is simple - every position, whether for first or 35th - is now hard fought, and a position gained in the pits is just as important as one on the track.

The 35 mph rule is being adhered to in name only. That is, the trick is to maintain as much speed as possible until the last second, and then slow the car down almost in an emergency fashion, often locking up the tires, until just before the yellow line marking the entrance to pit road.   The scenario then plays out again as a car approaches it’s pit stall - hold the 35 mph until the last possible second and then lock the tires and slide into - or beyond - one’s pit.   And then there are all of the other “tricks” of the game—blocking the guy in behind you, forcing him to back up, coming close to brushing your competitor’s crewmen to intimidate them into slowing down, and blatant disregard for cars entering the pits as others are leaving.   It is absurd.   On Sunday there was not only the Art Harris incident (which was an “accident”, but nevertheless exacerbated by the urgency on pit road), but additionally Tony Stewart “felt” he had been wronged by Paul Menard, and immediately punted him in retaliation on pit road - without penalty!   How this differs from Kurt Busch almost running over one of Stewart’s crewman earlier in the year is beyond me. Certainly there will be those explaining all of it - Stewart “owed” Menard, Busch “owed” Stewart, and assigning blame, but it should not matter.   When cars leaving their pit with a wrench in the wedge adjustor are penalized and slamming into another competitor on pit road is not, something is terribly wrong - again.   Anyone that reads this column is aware of my opinions on NASCAR “rules”, but this ongoing dangerous situation absolutely requires additional rules.   How do you legislate safety beyond the 35 mph limit, you may ask?

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