Boys, Have At It... or Not?

At the beginning of the 2010 NASCAR season there was an announcement that they were going "loosen" up the bumping rules to allow "boys, have at it." There had been complaints from drivers and fans that NASCAR was being too rigid and not allowing the drivers to race, with any bumping being penalized.

As the season has unfolded, in general there has been good racing, with the usual bumping and rubbing that is part of racing. But what happens when an inexperienced driver decides to bump a veteran driver? Havoc. When the newer driver bumps the experienced driver, there is a wiggle and a pass, and most likely no wreck. But when the veteran returns the favor, giving a "love tap" to the newer driver, the inexperience shows and the car spins wildly causing big wrecks that collect up other cars.

What's the balance? Fans like wrecks, but not big bad ones that were intentionally created. Drivers want to be fair but not let other drivers push them around. Part of racing is strategy and getting past the cars in front, right?

The balance is respect. In the Nationwide race on July 17, 2010 Brad Keselowski (newer driver) bumped Carl Edwards (experienced driver) on the last lap in turn 1. That gave Brad the lead. Near the finish line, Carl bumped Brad, Brad lost control and caused a huge wreck. At the end of the race Carl said "I couldn't let him take it away from my team like that" and that he wished Brad had raced him "clean".

Carl isn't in the business of wrecking cars for the sake of wrecking cars. No driver is. They wouldn't keep their ride long if they raced that way. What's rumbling from the drivers after that incident, and others that Brad has been part of, is that some of the newer drivers don't respect the experienced drivers. If you push a Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon or Carl Edwards "out of the way", especially on the last lap of a race, you are going to get pushed back, if not at that race, at the next one.

Newer drivers need to realize that if they bump an experienced driver, he isn't going to lose control, he will get a little loose and the newer driver will get a temporary position. When that driver, or a teammate of the "pushed" driver, catches back up, the newer driver is going to get spun. And if he can't control his car in that situation, there will be spectacular crashes. These "look" like they were caused by that driver with experience that caused the spin, when in reality it was caused by the driver that doesn't know how to handle his car when he is on the receiving end of the bump.

Experienced drivers know when to bump, how hard to bump and how to stay in control so their car and their teammates cars don't end up wrecked. Experienced drivers respect each other enough to know that if Jeff Gordon bumps Jimmie Johnson and puts him in a spin, there will be heck to pay in the garage. If they bump for the win, no one gets spun, somebody gets loose, somebody wins, and somebody else has to look over their shoulder for the next race when they are next to each other.

Read more from Deborah Carney at Awesome Race Fans

Photo Credit: Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway