Payback!
By: Drew Hierwarter
You know what they say about payback. In the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway yesterday Carl Edwards paid Brad Keselowski back for previous grievances. His intention was to merely spin Keselowski out and send a message. The result was something else entirely.
Once Keselowski’s car turned around backwards it lifted off the ground and, in a scene eerily reminiscent of Carl Edward’s crash at Talladega last year (ironically started by contact with Keselowski), sailed upside down and backwards into the crash wall.
The good news is that, in spite of severe damage to the car’s roll cage, Keselowski was not hurt. The bad news is that Carl Edwards may have done much to damage his “Mr. Nice Guy” reputation.
Paybacks have been an integral part of stock car racing since the very first race. It is often the best way for one driver to send the message to another that he cannot be intimidated. Racers, just like any other life form, will pray on the weak. And to be perceived as weak on the short tracks of
The mistake Carl Edwards made was choosing to take his revenge on Keselowski on the fastest track on the circuit. Crashing someone at 195 miles per hour is not cool. The next race is just two weeks away at
As it stands now NASCAR will be reviewing the situation over the next couple of days, reviewing tapes, and interviewing the participants. No one knows what they will decide but it’s pretty sure that Edwards and the team will lose points or cash or both. But you can also be sure that paybacks will continue to be an accepted, if unspoken, part of the sport. Let’s all hope that in future it takes on a much less serious form.
March 8th, 2010 at 10:07 am
Well I’m sure Carl didn’t intend to flip Brad! But the result was far more severe than anticipated at those speeds you can’t determine how these cars and drivers will react! But as they say in racing if you want to play with the big boys be prepared to TRADE SOME PAINT! So maybe Carl and Brad will think twice before engaging in a shove fest at 190+ MPH again! Or as has been said before some innocent bystander is probably going to get injured! I hope it doesn’t come to that!
March 8th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Banging fenders or clipping bumbers while racing for a win is “Have at it, boys”. Being 153 laps down on the fastest track in the series and intentionally and viciously wrecking a top ten contender is “we’ve had enough, boys”. Take Edwards’ points away for the Atlanta race and sit him for the upcoming Bristol race. And don’t let Edwards come back until he successfully completes an anger management program. This is a no brainer.
March 8th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
You know what really sent chills up my spine …. not the wreck…almost getting used to them (that’s sad)…it was Carl’s after incident interview….I swear he had the most wicked smirk/smile on his face…it was horrific! It looked as if he was trying not to laugh… I think that is what will stick with me from this incident…just like the incident when Carl grabbed Kenseth and appeared like he was going to punch him…the look on Carl’s face…really really creepy…and quite telling.
March 8th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
NASCAR needs to park Carl for 1 race. If they don’t, Brad should wreck Carl the first chance he gets. I would consider wrecking him in practice at Bristol. I would tell NASCAR if you don’t stop him, I will.
March 8th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
If I were BK and Nascar does not suspend Carl at the drivers meeting at Bristol I would warn all the other drivers to watch out that when Carl gets near me he will be wrecked sooner or later and I would tell Carl to his face that he will not have any chance to win the championship this season because I am going to see to it and when I’m over what happened I’ll talk to you about ending this feud but as of now i’m not over it.
March 9th, 2010 at 7:27 am
Nascar fault for not getting Brad K last year!
Has anyone ever heard Carl on TV say anything negative about Brad before? Fox seemed intent because the wrecks
looked the same be payback for the Talledaga wreckm when infact Carl got out and ran to the finish line and joked about it! You could not watch a Nationwide series race last year without Brad K running into Carl and Denny Hamlin!
When all these Cocky drivers who like to dish it out, talk a bad rap, but when its on the other foot, they become ‘Safety Experts”
Thought that Brad K was Ralph Nader when he got out of the car! Mabe this will teach him a lesson!