iNSIDE SCOOP: Did He or Didn't He?

Did he or didn’t he?

That is the question that NASCAR needs to answer concerning Clint Bowyer’s spin with seven laps to go in the Federated Auto Parts 400.

It also needs to answer for a couple of restart non-calls at RIR, too, but that is a lesser problem than the one above.

Clint Bowyer took a dive for the team. Plain and simple. He spun, caused a caution and prevented Ryan Newman from racing to a victory. Now, it could be that Newman would have had a problem in the final six laps, blown an engine or been run down from behind.

But, he might not have, either. We’ll never know. 

Taking a dive to get a caution is a time-honored tradition in racing. Code words and signals have been around for 50 years.  In itself, it’s not a major violation. But when you do it to get a teammate into the lucrative Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and in the process take two opponents out, it’s a problem.

One of those opponents was Jeff Gordon, who tangled with Bowyer last year at Phoenix and put him out of the race and a shot at the title. Revenge being a dish best served cold, that is understandable. Racers love to play head games, and Bowyer got his revenge on Gordon.

Being safely in the Chase himself, Bowyer could afford to play games. Had Newman won, he’d have knocked Martin Truex Jr. out of the Chase. Had Newman have finished second, he would have KO’d Truex as well. By forcing Newman to pit lane, where he fell to fifth for the final restart, there was still work to do.

Calling Bowyer and teammate Brian Vickers in as the restart was commencing gave Joey Logano the one spot he needed to remain inside the top 10 in points and preserved Truex’s wild-card standing.

Now, the onus is on NASCAR to make a judgment call. Did Bowyer spin on purpose? Sure looks like it to me, and I’ve been watching races for more than 40 years. Whether his arms were tired or he had an itch, as crew chief Brian Pattie mentioned on the in-car radio, a half-lap after that call, Bowyer was sideways and the yellow was waving.

In short: he did it, at the behest of MWR team management, to get a second car in the Chase.

That’s a couple million dollars’ worth of collusion.

Racing is entertainment, true, but it also has rules. Rule 3-1 in this case talks about professionalism and integrity by all NASCAR teams. If NASCAR doesn’t enforce its rulebook, there’s going to be a revolt. Not among the drivers, but among the fans, many of whom lit up Twitter and other social media sites with outrage.

It’s good to be talked about, especially if you’re NASCAR on the opening weekend of the NFL season, but it’s bad when most people are using words that would make a deacon blush.

There is going to be a reckoning on the events of the final seven laps at Richmond. Bowyer will likely not see the finish at Chicagoland, and the spin will be real and the result of a shot to a fender or bumper by a car numbered 39 or 24. Neither one of those guys is inclined to cut him any slack, and by rights have an obligation to make him pay.

What does Newman have to lose? He’s finishing out the season in the 39 before heading to RCR and the 31 car. Gordon has a lifetime contract to drive the 24, and he’s not finished yet. Even if they put one or both in NASCAR jail for the rest of the season, there’s nothing Bowyer can do to get the mulligan back.

NASCAR has got to come up with something that fits the crime. If they take a pass and don’t do anything, it’s the Wild, Wild West in the garage area. 

Choose wisely, boys. A lot depends on your response.