No More 'Secret' Fines

WARNING: NASCAR will continue to fine competitors who 'Challenge the Integrity of the Sport'.

Gone of the days of "secret fines" that are hinted at in the Media, yet refuted by NASCAR and the party involved.  Here to stay is the effort to keep drivers from making comments that are irresponsible and unhelpful to the growing of the sport. 

Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman have been previously fined for comments each had made, but the sanctioning body did not make the penalties public knowledge at the time they were issued. Such secrecy, some competitors said, made it unclear of what would or would not be construed as “damaging.”

“We're not talking about who's critical of NASCAR,” France said. “You can be critical of things you don't think we're doing well, in particular a race call. You can say ‘I don't think I was speeding; I disagree with that.’ We understand that. It's when you go after the integrity of the sport is where we will step in, and they will be public.”

Keselowski, who was fined for criticizing NASCAR new fuel injection system last year, said he didn’t believe the decision to make future penalties public came from his fine last year or from recent meetings between the teams and NASCAR officials.

“I don’t think I have that influence,” he told a group of reporters Thursday. “It’s probably more of a direct result of you guys [the media] than anything else.”

While questionable comments aren’t as black and white as technical issues, Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition for NASCAR, said the same group of officials determine if and when a line has been crossed.

“If it’s a competition fine, it isn’t just Mike Fisher (Managing Director, NASCAR R&D) or (Sprint Cup Series Director) John Darby ... weighing in,” Pemberton said. “We run that stuff all the way up and all the way down. Brian [France] weighs in on all the penalties. A lot of people do.”
Pemberton acknowledged that the move to announce such fines was partly due to the media’s concern over the secrecy aspect of the fines and the question of how they were being levied.
Previously, he said, the determination to keep such fines private was to protect those who were involved, the competitors as well as the team’s sponsors.

“If you were private on [issuing] one, and it got out there, immediately everyone thought we had [issued] 100 fines,” he said. “And [in reality] you could count them on one hand.
“When we started out, private was about giving the benefit to a team, to not drag them through the mud. They’re embarrassed about what they said and it’s an embarrassment for their sponsor, and then for us to go through and drag everyone through the mud again ....

“Obviously we tried it one way and it didn’t work. It got put back on us because everybody thought we were trying to hide something and we’re not. So there they are.”

The effort to keep the sport honest, will they also let us in on the happenings inside the NASCAR hauler during private meetings? Will they be honest about whether blows were exchanged between waring drivers? Or is that still a line that will not be crossed?  I for one wish their 'open door policy' and full disclosure concept didn't have limits. If it's leaked to the Media they should address the rumors, tell the truth and let us see what really goes on behind the scenes.