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Late Model driver Jay Stuart, has been suspended for the remainder of the 2006 racing season. Steve Harraka has suspended Stuart for "Excessive rough driving without regard for consequences."
-- Edited by WhelenModifiedTour at 22:25, 2006-07-13
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NASCAR MODIFIEDS...WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. LET'S REMIND NASCAR OF THEIR ROOTS.
Speedbowl Penalties Waterford Speedbowl Race Director Steve Harraka has announced Jay Stuart has been suspended for the remainder of the season for “Excessive rough riding without regard for consequences” in last Saturday’s (July 8) Late Model feature. Stuart was also fined 28 points and $80, the amounts he earned for a 12th place finish.
I wonder if the amount of cars that spin or wreck because of your roughriding should enter into the penalty?
If you spin someone and say 5 cars get wrecked or invloved, should you get 5 weeks off/5 weeks probation period that could lead to the 5 weeks off if you do it again?
I know Jay is aggressive, I know he also didn't mean to wreck a bunch of racecars including his own. I know he's smarter then that. The "without regard for consequences" puzzles me. I think he should be sat down for the night and maybe a few weeks but how could he know people in the back would just start running over each other in an attempt to gain spots?
Thank's for the post Anon, you bring up some interesting points in all of this. Stuart is known to be aggresive, an for the most part from what I've seen Thomas Jr is usually a fairly clean racer. But it's obvious from watching, hearing other drivers comments, and reading posters on other sites opinion's that these two for lack of better words, "had it out for each other". My question is (an I know it's easy to armchair quaterback, and it's easier said then done) why wasn't this little "war" nipped in the bud? Tell them you touch each other there done, warn them on the radio, have the starter shake the black flag at them, park them both for the night if they so much as rub each other and they hopefully will get the message. I think rivalries are ok as long as they are good clean hard racing, not just one or two guys out there after each other every week. I just hope this thing wasn't allowed to "fester" because the powers that be were looking for a Phil an Jay or Tommy, or Corey an Allen type rivalry that made the division so fun to watch in the past and it backfired and this is the result.
anon, when you wreck the leader in the pack you have to expect others will be involved. I was not there and only saw the edited clip on JP's site but it appeared Stuart blatantly bumped and drove Thomas into the wall with the whole pack bunched behind him. If they had a few car length lead on the pack then the 'without regard for consequences' would be a bit much but he should have thought about the circumstances.
But if any week for the rest of the year if someone dumps the leader and somehow the whole pack slips by and only the leader spins/wrecks, should the second place car be thrown out for the season?
That's what this call is. Like or dislike Jay and his style the bowl is setting itself up to fail once again. Harraka seems to be trying to make up for lost time, car counts and butts in seats by making one huge call. What it does is set them up for something everyone hates, not being consistant. Unless the next time someone spins or wrecks someone and more cars then the guy that gets spun gets involved, they get tossed for the season. It's the only way this penalty can be fair.
Jay got what he deserves in my opinion. He crossed the line, so to speak, and will be the first of probably many drivers to be parked. What he did was blatant, period, no other way to describe it. And from what I have read and heard, it has been an ongoing situation. I applaud Harraka for doing something, unfortunately it should have happened long ago.
Annon you make valid points, but something needed to be done. One mans ego, has practically destroyed what was once a great division. If things settle down, maybe some "outsiders" will actually come to the track.If car counts get any lower the division will be history. The Late Models are NOT Enduro racing, you would think a Multi-Track Champion should know this.
Just my opinion.
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NASCAR MODIFIEDS...WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. LET'S REMIND NASCAR OF THEIR ROOTS.
WMT, my feelings exactly. Anon, you make some good points but unfortunately, the track let things get out of hand. Unless they made a BIG statement in a hurry like they just did, the car count would continue to decline and there would be less butts in the seats and the bowl would not have a chance to survive. It may have taken a while but I support their decission and Stuart should have known better. He has always flirted with the OB line, IMHO and while he may be upset but he should not be surprised. Hopefully the other divisions will take heed and calm down also. Some of these guys are out of control.
Just my .02 and Anon, I appreciate you opinion also.
Great discussion guy's. Anon hit's on the underlying thing that I think cause's a lot people's displeasure and that's the inconsistency in the officiating. Now I'm not saying Stuart didn't deserve the boot for the season for what he did, but what does happen the next time somebody spins another competitor and a bunch of cars are involved? Do they get tossed for the season?
Now I know this was an ongoing thing and every situation is different, but the next time a team or team's car or car's are junked the "kick the offender out for the season" lynch mob's will come out. I applaud Harraka for making a definite statement with his decision, but as Spd said I wouldn't want to have to walk in his shoes.
