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This one really bothered me. NASCAR has a clear choice to end it or not. If they do nothing or impose a penalty that is viewed as tolerable to the offending driver, owner and sponsors, then they have declared that it's open season for anyone that feels they are wronged by someone and thinks they have to do something to teach someone "respect". Open season means you just need to get your car back on the track during the same race to "get some payback and teach respect". If the "teaching" driver is doing well in a race, then a better tactic is to wait it out for some future race when your car is a hundred laps behind and it costs you nothing (car wise or penalty) to go out and wreck your target. This will quickly develop into an art form where you choose the optimum time to even the score - preferably when they are about to win. Better yet, save it for the last races so it really counts and some real "respect learning" takes place. The best part of open season is that you also get to wreck other folks that have nothing to do with the "teaching moment" that the payback is intended to create. That in turn drives the need for others to keep a hit list (because you gotta teach respect) and it snow balls from there. It won't stop until someone famous is the target. Does anyone think Cousin Carl would consider something like this with Dale Jr or Danica? If NASCAR doesn't act decisively, the track insurance companies will act by raising premiums to prepare for the inevitable lawsuit that cites NASCAR negligence as the contributing cause when someone in the stands, infield or pit row is injured or killed in a payback chain of events.
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