Is Edwards in Deep? Did Bowyer Really Do That?

NASCAR Released the following statement today (9-8-13):

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2013) – “NASCAR is reviewing Saturday night’s race at Richmond International Raceway per protocol and has no plans for further statement until that process is complete.”

I'm wondering who they're talking about?  LOL.

OK, more than likely, it's that questionable last restart where Carl Edwards blew off the race leader, Paul Menard and got to the restart line before Menard.  It was so blatant a blind man could see it!

And Edwards was not black flagged for the deed.

That is where I think NASCAR is focused.

But then there's Michael Waltrip Racing.

That restart that allowed Carl Edwards to jump the start with three laps to go was brought about by a single-car spin by Clint Bowyer.

It was called a suspect spin by many last night and today.

If Bowyer had not spun, it looked like Ryan Newman, with a surmountable lead, would have won.  And that win would have eliminated Martin Truex Jr. from the season closing Chase for the Championship.

But instead, after a snag of a pit stop, Newman did not win the race and Martin Truex Jr. got into the Chase.

It's here that things start to look interesting, from the outside, looking in.

First up:

Statements from Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was behind Boyer when he spun, who said,

"

He just spun right out.  That’s the craziest thing I ever saw. He just came right around.

He was hemming around on the brakes and jerking the car around, and then the thing just spun out. It was crazy. I don’t know what was going on.

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Then there were statements made by Bowyer himself about the spin:

He first said he had a ton of wheel, and by the time he got on the gas, "he was underneath me."  And he spun.

No one was near him.

Then there was the in-car feed that gives us an interesting perspective, I'm going to quote ThatsRacin.com:

"

Shortly before Bowyer’s spin, his spotter reminded him it looked like Newman would win the race. Then Bowyer’s crew chief, Brian Pattie, chimed in on the radio with two odd comments: “Is your arm starting to hurt?” he said. “I bet it’s getting hot in there. Itch it.”

Bowyer then spun out.

"

In the remaining three laps after the restart, both MWR drivers Boyer and Vickers dropped off the radar and fell to the back of the field.

After the race, USA Today's Jeff Gluck reported that in the pits after the race, Michael Waltrip told Truex he has the best teammates.

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From the outside, looking in, some devious s**t just took place.  Too many things add up here, and it's an incredibly disappointing development.  I'll never look at the MWR team the same way again.

Now I'm hoping NASCAR is looking at both the restart and the seeming intentional spinning.

I hope the right things are done with these events.

Don't forget, back in 2004, Dale Jr was docked 25 points for an intentional spin at Bristol.

But nothing will change who is in or out of the Chase.  And MWR is playing it cool.  If they stick together and not say anything self-incriminating, then they're probably going to skate.

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{.thatsracin.} {.usatoday.}


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