Well, today I have learned a couple of things from NASCAR, first being that Hendrick can't buy the #8 nor DEI can sell it because NASCAR released a statement saying that numbers can't be bought or sold and they owner the numbers. No surprise here, I wondering what NASCAR thought and something I thought too, basically Dale Jr fans can only hope that DEI is willing to let Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Jr. have the number in good faith or even maybe doing a trade of number for number. (Example: #25 for the #8 considering the #5 has so much history with Hendrick Motorsports.) The other thing to consider is reserving another number like the #81, #23 or something along those lines.
The second being that earlier today NASCAR hand-down yet another COT penalty, this time for the #24 and #48, both drivers have been docked 100 points, the crew chiefs fined $100,000 and suspended for six races. Hendrick and Gordon both docked 100 owner points too. At least they are consitant in there penalties expect for the Kurt Busch one they never got. The updated points now have Gordon's lead to 171 over Hamlin, Johnson down to 5th and only 623 points to 12th place Dale Jr. Like I said, Gordon has a 620 point buffer between him and 12th.
To me, all this penalty serves is a reminder that NASCAR doesn't want anyone to so much as touch let along modify the Car of Tomorrow at all, welcome to IROC style cars, as far as Gordon and Johnson go, with the way the points standings including the Chase is setup, it doesn't do anything, they will still make the chase without a problem. Now what if NASCAR docked them 100 points once the chase started in New Hampshire, there's an interesting thought.
One question, What happened to the Petty/TNT language oops during the broadcast penalty, NASCAR handed-down stuff before on this including Dale Jr at Talladega a couple years, what about this?
Finally despite it all, I can't wait to see just what this Car of Tomorrow looks like in person soon and I still enjoy watching this sport, I just wish NASCAR would stop trying to copy other leagues including the NFL for the Chase and Grand American Road Racing & IROC for the cars, NASCAR has higher rates for a reason, because they were different, now let's try get back to that time and then NASCAR will continue to grow.
