Anyone see the incident with Edwards and Keselowski in Atlanta???

[Reno Paul]

Hell of a crash! Looked like Edwards was looking for payback to me.....


NASCAR.COM Video - Edwards sends Keselowski airborne


NASCAR looking closely into incident of 'retaliation'

Edwards could face additional punishment for flipping BK

By Joe Menzer, NASCAR.COM
March 7, 2010
08:12 PM EST

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HAMPTON, Ga. -- Brad Keselowski called for fellow Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards to be suspended for at least one race after Edwards wrecked him Sunday in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
But Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition for NASCAR, said the governing body would take its time in examining all the facts before deciding what to do with Edwards, whose No. 99 Roush Fenway Ford was ordered to the garage after wrecking the No. 12 of Keselowski and sending it airborne on the frontstretch on Lap 323 of what was a scheduled 325-lap event. Pemberton and other NASCAR officials, including president Mike Helton, met with Edwards following Sunday's race -- but Pemberton said they would discuss the incident further "internally" on Monday and Tuesday before announcing any additional penalties for Edwards by late Tuesday afternoon.
The history





Talladega 2009

Brad Keselowski wins and sends Carl Edwards for a ride.

• Watch

Atlanta 2010, Part 1

Edwards goes up the track after a tap from Keselowski.

• Watch

Atlanta 2010, Part 2

Edwards returns to the track and takes out Keselowski.

• Watch

Now what?



“
... we will discuss it further ... We don't rush to judgment on Sunday nights and make penalties.

”
-- ROBIN PEMBERTON





"It looked like it could have been a payback from the No. 99 on the No. 12," Pemberton said.
The two drivers have a muddled past, with Keselowski having turned Edwards and sent his car airborne and into the catchfence at Talladega Superspeedway last spring as they both raced for a win. Edwards said after that incident that it was at least partially his fault for coming down on Keselowski, and that Keselowski merely did what he had to do to win the race. Edwards seemed to blame the horrific wreck, which caused some injuries to fans in the stands, more on restrictor-plate racing than the driving of Keselowski.
But then the two drivers added to their history of getting together earlier during Sunday's race when they bumped on Lap 41 and Edwards ended up getting shoved into the No. 20 Toyota of Joey Logano, effectively ruining both of their days.
Keselowski, meanwhile, drove away from that incident and went on to put together a solid run for the day while Edwards spent much of the afternoon having his car repaired in the garage. Edwards returned to the track on Lap 190 after spending 150 laps in the garage, and appeared to purposely wreck Keselowski when Keselowski appeared headed for a top-five finish.
"To come back and intentionally wreck someone, that's not cool," Keselowski said. "You could have killed someone in the grandstands. I know that it's a little ironic that it's me saying that, but at least I didn't do it intentionally [when it happened at Talladega].
"It will be interesting to see how NASCAR reacts to it. They have the ball. If they're going to allow people to intentionally wreck each other at tracks this fast, we will hurt someone either in the cars or in the grandstands. It's not cool to wreck someone at 195 mph."
Pemberton indicated that Edwards more or less admitted in the post-race meeting with NASCAR officials that he intended to wreck Keselowski, but that he did not mean to send him airborne. Keselowski's car ended up landing upside down, nearly crushing in the driver's side of the roof, and was completely destroyed in the aftermath.
Keselowski was shaken up after the wreck and needed assistance getting removed from the car, but eventually was cleared at the AMS infield care center.
"Carl said he got into him; he said he didn't expect the result," Pemberton said.
Earlier, Edwards spoke briefly with the media and attempted to explain his thinking.
"Brad knows the deal between him and I," Edwards said. "The scary part was his car went airborne, which was not at all what I expected. At the end of the day, we're out here to race and people have to have respect for one another and I have a lot of respect for people's safety.
"I wish it wouldn't have gone like it did, but I'm glad he's OK and we'll just go on and race some more and maybe him and I won't get in any more incidents together. That would be the best thing."
Keselowski told reporters that he believed Edwards took "three swipes" at him before connecting, and that Edwards deserves to be suspended for at least one race. He also defended what had occurred during their first incident Sunday.
"He cut down on me on a restart and I lifted; I couldn't lift fast enough for him," Keselowski said. "I lifted for him to let him in, but I was there. I don't know what more you can do.
"[Keep the] car low, that's what they say. So I was underneath him, tried to cut him a break. It was too late, though; he turned down. I apologized to him, but there was nothing that I could do in that situation."
Naturally, Edwards didn't see the first incident quite the same way.
"We were on the restart and I was going for the bottom. I knew Brad was peeking inside, but I thought he'd give me just a little bit of room and he didn't and we ended up overlapping," Edwards said.
"I had it saved and I guess I got into the 20 car at the very top of the race track. I didn't see that part of it, but it's so frustrating for a number of reasons, most of which is that I love racing here. ... I know Brad has made his career on being super-aggressive. We both had a part in it and it's not his fault, but it's just a little too aggressive overall, I think, for that early in the race and caused us to wreck."
Asked if he thought there was a connection between Sunday's incidents and what happened last season at Talladega, Pemberton replied: "It was the same two cars, we know that. I would say there seems to be a history between those two drivers. ... It's always a concern when you see retaliation and there are different levels of it. Like I said, we will discuss it further at the [NASCAR Research & Development Center] early this week.
"We don't rush to judgment on Sunday nights and make penalties. That's why we take our time and go back and talk about it some more."

[Dirty]

didn't see it, but NASCAR has to do something overall... the sport is a shadow of itself

[Heartman]

Dirty, in my opinion, they've gone with too many 1.5 mile tracks.

Bigger tracks = more fans = more money for the track owners. Greed!

They need more 1 mile and smaller tracks. It makes for better racing.

As far as the Carl/Brad feud, it's Nascars fault. When they said they were going to let the boys settle it out on the track, this is what happens. I wouldn't suspend Carl, but I would deduct 25 to 50 points and make him start the next race at the back of the field. That will hurt!

Intentional crashing is way too dangerous. The drivers should wait till the race is over and get some payback while the cars head back to the garage.

Look out for Keselowski. The guy has championship level talent in my opinion. Future superstar.

[Dirty]

The Smaller Tracks are there Heartman... NASCAR just has to bite the bullet and go back to their roots

[Heartman]

I'm not as down on it as you are Dirty. I think Nascar still offers the best racing in the world and I watch and gamble on every race.

I just think that the best racing happens on tracks like Phoenix, Richmond, Bristol, Dover, New Hampshire. 1 mile or shorter is the way to go. I'm telling you, too damn many 1.5 milers.

[Heartman]

By the way, Thanks man, my 5dimes account is much happier now.

[Dirty]

good to hear man

[Reno Paul]

Bristol is less than two weeks away......Probably my favorite track......Wanna see some pissed off drivers with the more relaxed rules this year.

[Reno Paul]

NASCAR places Edwards on three-race probation

More concerned that 12 car flipped on a 1.5-mile track

By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
March 9, 2010
01:12 PM EST

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NASCAR president Mike Helton on Tuesday announced Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards has been placed on probation for the next three Sprint Cup races as a result of Edwards intentionally wrecking Brad Keselowski this past Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Helton said the decision came "after meeting and discussing the events Sunday evening, all day Monday and [Tuesday] morning." Helton added that an additional meeting "that was still being set" would be arranged between NASCAR officials, team owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske and the two drivers.


Helton added that an additional meeting would be arranged between NASCAR officials, team owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske and the two drivers.




"We feel that will come before the Saturday or Sunday of the Bristol weekend," Helton said.
Helton said the fact that Keselowski's car went airborne at a 1.5-mile track was a bigger issue than Edwards' action.
Helton's participation in a national teleconference was quickly scheduled and announced less than 90 minutes in advance in the aftermath of the vicious accident in the late stages of Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500.
With two laps remaining of the scheduled 325-lap event on the high-speed 1.5-mile track -- where two days before Dale Earnhardt Jr. had clocked the fastest qualifying lap ever recorded by NASCAR's new car, 192.761 mph -- Keselowski's Dodge flipped into the frontstretch fence following contact from Edwards' Ford.
FOX Sports' TV replays showed Edwards' white-gloved hands turning his steering wheel to the right, into the back of Keselowski's car, which caused it to spin backwards. The car then lifted into the air and turned over, striking the top of the fence, upside-down with the driver's-side corner of the windshield "A-post." (watch video)
NASCAR immediately parked Edwards, who had made another lap of the race track after the contact. Upon getting the word on his in-car radio, Edwards drove the wrong way up pit road to turn into the Sprint Cup garage area to park at his hauler.
Keselowski was helped from his car and walked to an ambulance. After being examined in the track's infield care center, Keselowski emerged and promised that actions such as Edwards' would result in injuries to either another driver or to fans.
"To come back and intentionally wreck someone, that's not cool -- you could have killed someone in the grandstands," Keselowski said. "It will be interesting to see how NASCAR reacts to it. They have the ball. If they're going to allow people to intentionally wreck each other at tracks this fast, we will hurt someone either in the cars or in the grandstands.
"It's not cool to wreck someone intentionally at 195 mph."
After getting out of his car at the track, Edwards didn't deny spinning Keselowski but said flipping the younger driver's car wasn't his intent. Later Sunday evening, in an entry on his Facebook page, Edwards said "his code" dictated that he take action immediately.
Earlier in the race, Edwards and Keselowski's cars made contact when Edwards attempted to move his Roush Fenway Racing Ford from an upper lane to a lower lane already occupied by Keselowski's Penske Racing Dodge.
The contact caused Edwards' car to skitter up the track, where it hit Joey Logano's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, causing both Edwards' and Logano's cars to hit the wall. Edwards spent more than 150 laps in the garage while his crew made repairs. (watch video)
Edwards came back on the track in 41st and could have made up three positions -- and nine championship points -- by running to the end of the race. When he was parked, Edwards ended up 39th and lost the chance to overtake Joe Nemechek, who was already out of the race.

[Dirty]

not a bad move

[Heartman]

I bet the shit hits the fan these next two races, Bristol and Martinsville. With just one tiny little slip up you can take someone out at these tracks. There will be some payback!