fan but just hated that he wouldn’t be in his final 600.
At Rockingham in 2004 Carl Long barreled rolled down the back stretch. Afterward he kept his sense of humor even though he had wrecked his only car and said "We were racing along and someone must have got into me, because next thing I knew, I seen the people up there in the back straightaway in the bleachers up there eating chicken. You can't pay $2 at the state fair to ride something like that."
The last thing I know about Carl Long is that he is just a blue collar worker who has a deep love for racing. He works hard Monday thru Friday then works even harder on the weekend. He works on that car, drives the hauler and races the car. He is what NASCAR used to be made of.
OK, on to my rant. Everyone knows about Carl Long’s illegal engine and subsequent fine. In case you don’t his engine was 1/17th’s of an inch too big for the All-Star Showdown. 1/17th’s of an inch, about the thickness of a matchbook. The 12-race suspension, 200-point penalty and $200,000 fine are NASCAR records. So right now you and I have more points than Carl Long and his owner and wife DeeDee. We probably also have more money in our checking accounts than they do too.
First let me make a comment on WHY we have this rule. Because a very long time ago Richard Petty was spanking the field race after race. Well, he had an engine that was BIG, real BIG. So NASCAR came out with this rule basically to stop Petty from stomping the field week after week. Let’s zoom forward to the 2009 and the All Star Showdown. Carl did NOT run this engine in the Showdown; it blew up during practice. He did NOT spank the field race after race or even for one race. So Carl Long gets the biggest fine in NASCAR history for not even using the engine during the race? How in anyone’s mind is this right?
I have read a few and I mean a very few writers agreeing with NASCAR stance on this issue. They are writing things like “NASCAR can’t play loose with the rules and NOT punish Long because he is one of the little guys.” And “there is a precedent". I laughed out loud when I read the comments about “NASCAR can’t play loose with the rules” since they have ALWAYS played loose with the rules. One guy goes below the yellow line and advances his position WHAM he gets a penalty. The next day a different driver (one that is popular) does the same thing and WHAM no penalty. That’s why Jimmy says NASCAR stands for National Association for Selective Changing All Rules. Also, there is NOT a precedent. As I already pointed out Petty was dominating each and every week and Carl Long hasn’t and probably won’t. He is just a guy who bust his butt Monday thru Friday and dumps all his extra money to go racing every once in awhile on Sunday.
Which brings me to my biggest issue with all of this, Carl Long’s penalty bars him from working in any area of Sprint Cup competition and that puts him out of work. They have cut off Carl Long at the knees. This guy just doesn’t deserve that.
In reaction to the penalty be upheld by the National Stock Car Commission Long said "Big Bill [France, NASCAR founder] and Bill Jr. ruled the sport like a father -- at the end of the day they took care of their family," Long said. "These guys don't care. They don't have any heart. Basically, it seems like they don't care about the sport, they just want to make a dollar. I truly have a sour taste of the management in our sport. They've forgotten the roots of how this sport was created, and who are the people buying the tickets, sitting in the stands. The people in the stands are me."
I hear you Carl I hear you. And you are absolutely right.
Carl went on to say “I am very disappointed in NASCAR's decision. I am not arguing that the size NASCAR measured is big. Ernie Elliott says this happened because of distortion from heat. Allow me the .17 for expansion or show me metallurgy that states how much a block can change at extreme temperatures. Then take this hole in the rules and make engine companies sign the inspection sheet and take responsibility. Fix the rule! Engine builders can argue with NASCAR and their engineers instead of leaving drivers, owners, and crew chiefs to explain properties of cast iron, nickel, and the growth due to heat. Careful Ryan Newman, if you have a maxed out engine that melts down, making it too big, you too can have a 12 week vacation and take Smoke with you. He is listed as owner, correct? This should not be able to happen to any team and their fans! We have the option to appeal to the national board in Daytona. I am trying to overcome my emotions versus the facts. After today's hearing, I have lost all faith in the way the appeal system works.”
I absolutely agree with his take. The
engine builders should hold the
responsibility on something like this. Ernie
Elliott has been building engines since the
Awesome One was Million Dollar Bill. If
you can’t buy an engine from him and
TRUST that it is legal, then that’s a
problem. I also want to know if NASCAR
has bother to tear down any other of
Ernie Elliott’s engines that other teams are
running? Doesn’t it seem like they should?
I just think that NASCAR blew it on this
call. And I don’t think they can afford to
keeping blowing it. I agree that someone
should be punished for a violation but the question is who and how much is enough? In this case I think it wasn’t the correct people or the correct amount.
Many fans and even David Reutimann have donated money to help out Carl Long Racing. In response Carl Long stated "I would like to thank all of the fans and supporters who have generously donated their hard-earned cash to help pay my fine and get Carl Long Racing back into NASCAR. I am stunned by the enormous forthcoming of support and could not have imagined that I would ever be this privileged.
Thank you, I sincerely appreciate it.
See you on the track soon!
Carl
If you too feel like Carl Long got robbed, PLEASE go here and donate even if it is only $1.00.
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