On May 6, NASCAR finally clarified its stance on the intentional wreck caused by Danica Patrick at the May 5 Aaron's 312 race. NASCAR has no plans to discipline Danica Patrick or Sam Hornish Jr. Although the organization admits that there are plans to discuss the wreck, there will not be any penalties or fines.
The Wreck
Danica Patrick responded to an earlier block from Sam Hornish Jr. by intentionally wrecking him during the cooldown lap of the Aaron's 312 race at the Talladega Superspeedway. After the race, Hornish explained that his actions were caused by a flat tire, and Patrick accepted his excuse. The drivers seemed to make up on Twitter.
NASCAR's Response
Fans have been waiting for an official response from NASCAR about the incident on May 5 at Talladega Superspeedway. Usually, drivers who are involved in intentional wrecks are immediately called to the hauler, and NASCAR discusses the problem. However, this did not occur on May 5 because Patrick and Hornish were not asked to come to the hauler.
On May 6, NASCAR finally issued a statement about the wreck. Pemberton indicated that NASCAR will discuss the incident with both Danica Patrick and Sam Hornish Jr. He said, "It didn't go unnoticed. Those are two good competitors, clean competitors. We'll just make sure it doesn't go any further." However, there are no plans to penalize them. In addition, Pemberton's comments seem to be focused on preventing future problems from developing instead of punishing the drivers for their actions on May 5.
Inconsistency in NASCAR
NASCAR's response to the intentional wreck has angered many fans. It highlights some of the inconsistency that has become prevalent in the organization. In the past, drivers have faced both fines and suspensions for similar incidents. Now, NASCAR seems to be picking who deserves to be penalized and who goes free.
Pemberton has emphasized that a history of violations plays a role in the decisions. However, this remains a murky area for the organization. How many violations are allowed before drivers are penalized? Who decides how the severity is ranked? The NASCAR rule book provides little help in this situation.
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Growing up in Indiana, Lana developed a love for motorsports at an early age. She follows NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula One. Follow @Lana_Bandoim on Twitter.
