Park Carl Edwards
Carl Edwards Should be Parked for Intentionally Wrecking Brad Keselowski
With 3 laps to go Brad Keselowski was running in 6th place Sunday afternoon at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Carl Edwards was running 39th. That’s when Carl Edwards intentionally made a hard right turn into the left rear of Keselowski’s Dodge sending Keselowski into a flying spin and a hard landing on his roof.
“It looked like it could have been a payback from the No. 99 on the No. 12, said NASCAR’s vice-president of competition Robin Pemberton. “We talked with Carl after the race and we have an understanding about it and we will talk internally again as a group Monday or Tuesday of this week and make any decision on if there will be any other actions that we will take.”
When NASCAR Chairman Brian France told drivers earlier this year that NASCAR “is a contact sport”, he was definitely not not sending a message that it was okay to intentionally wreck another driver at the end of a race.
Hard racing does not mean you can take out another driver. Especially when you are 156 laps down, like Edwards was.
Keselowski could have been seriously injured or killed in the crash. The roof of his car was caved in on both sides, and the A pillar, the post in front of the driver that supports the roof, was severely damaged.
The flying car of Keselowski didn’t miss the catchfence by much. Edwards put the fans safety in danger as well.
Carl Edwards was parked following the incident, but since he was already 156 laps down his finishing position wasn’t affected. He has not been punished at all yet.
So will NASCAR park Edwards? “We’ll let you know either Monday or Tuesday. We’ll meet as we normally do the first of the week at the R&D Center as a group,” said Robin Pemberton
After the wreck Carl Edwards said “People gotta have respect for one another, and I have a lot of respect for people’s safety.” Well Carl, all I can say is your actions speak louder than your words.
What’s more, Edwards may have affected the outcome of the race. Kurt Busch was leading at the time of the wreck, but Juan Pablo Montoya was closing. Would Montoya have caught Busch if Edwards had not caused the caution? We’ll never know. But we don’t need an intentional wreck at any time – especially with 3 laps to go.
I say park Edwards for a race. Carl, don’t even bother showing up at Bristol. You can watch the race at home on TV.
What do you say?
Keselowski Wins in Wild Talladega Finish
Brad Keselowski Wins in Wild Talladega Finish
Brad Keselowski did exactly what he had to do in the final two laps at Talladega. He tucked his nose under the rear bumper of Carl Edwards’ fast No. 99 Ford and drafted past his mentor and Nationwide series car owner Dale Earnhardt Jr as they came to the white flag, then Keselowski waited until the last possible moment to attempt a pass on the leader.
When Keselowski moved high on the track Edwards moved up to block. Edwards tried to block again when Keselowski moved to the low side – and Keselowski held his line, and held his foot on the gas, while making sure he did not cross Talladega’s double yellow line which would have disqualified him.
Carl Edwards’ block sent him spinning across the nose of Brad Keselowski’s car – then flying backwards into the catchfence in the tri-oval. The car didn’t miss going across the catchfence and into a spectator filled grandstand by much, which reminds us why NASCAR mandates restrictor plates at Talladega. 
“He blocked and I wasn’t going to go below the yellow line,” said Brad Keselowski about the race-winning move. “I felt bad. I was watching Carl wreck in my mirror — but he put himself in that spot. I hope he’s OK!”
Dale Earnhardt Jr had to feel good with the 2nd place run – he would have been even happier to win – but the 2nd place finish should silence a few of the Dale Jr doubters who say he can’t win. Earnhardt’s pit crew stepped up their game, and gained Junior some positions on pit road in the race.
“The 99 and Brad hooked up,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “They are just a little bit faster and they moved up. They were coming they were catching us and running the middle, and the middle had been a little quicker I guess we showed our hand a little early, maybe a lap or two too early and everybody saw what they was going to have to do if they wanted a shot at winning.”
You would think Junior had actually won the race judging by the big smile on his face when he congratulated Keselowski in Victory Lane.
Brad Keselowski put NASCAR Nation on notice that he is the real deal by capturing his first win in just his fifth Sprint Cup Series start. Keselowski isn’t even running a full-time schedule in Sprint Cup.
The win puts Brad Keselowski in the All Star Race. Keselowski is a future star.
So was this a wild ride at Talladega or what?
