Edwards feels the hammer
He got lucky once, dodging a penalty for a runaway tire on pit road late in the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday.
When it came time for NASCAR to look at Carl Edwards' car, his luck came up craps.
And when NASCAR gets involved, there isn't a second chance to make things right, especially when it comes to post-race inspection.
Edwards was the latest to be nailed for running afoul of NASCAR's rules on the new car. He received a 100-point penalty, as did his owner, Jack Roush, and (here's the sad part) should Edwards make the Chase, the win he earned at Las Vegas will NOT be counted with 10 bonus points.
And to top it all off, Bob Osborne, Edwards' crew chief, will be sent home for the next six races and he can't return until Apr. 30.
In a word - or three - Ouch, ouch, and whoa!
You have to scratch your head a little bit at this one, but NASCAR is doing what it promised. Cheating isn't going to be looked at with a wink and blind eye anymore.
In the grand scheme, Edwards' time in the points lead lasted all of 48 hours. He went from 21 points up on Kyle Busch to 79 behind, all because an essential part wasn't bolted on the car properly.
Drivers can cry all they want, but these teams, for all the money they spend, have some darn smart people working on the cars. It seems awfully hard to believe that the misaligned part in Edwards' car happened by accident.
Next time, try a system of checks and balances. That way, if someone misses something, the next person down the line can make it right.
With the expense involved in this sport, the stakes are simply too high to let what happened to Edwards make it into the media spotlight.
When mistakes happen and NASCAR's iron fist comes down, woe be unto those standing below.
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