CARL EDWARDS THUMBS NOSE AT NASCAR

3-9-2010 9:45 AM EST

Carl Edwards showed his arrogance and total lack of respect for Nascar, the sport , and most importantly the FANS during the running of the Kobalt tools 500 .

Edwards was involved in an accident early in the running with the driver of the #12 car .

Edwards hit Keselowski on purpose and Keselowski's car became airborne .At the time Edwards was 156 laps behind in a 325 lap race that had only a few laps left .

FOX sports was broadcasting the event and suddenly made an abrupt about face on showing the video footage .
Fox showed the accident ONE TIME , then showed video from the lap before where Edwards almost hit the wall trying to intentionally wreck Keselowski.
It is more than obvious that Nascar contacted the FOX people and told them not to show EITHER account again .

Edwards and Keselowski have a history , a history of entanglements that is widely known .

I think NASCAR needs to sit Edwards out for at least 2 races .Edwards currently has 435 points and that places him in 20th place in the points standings .
Missing 2 races should place Edwards about 40th in the points standing and make it near impossible for him to earn a spot in the " CHASE " .
Perhaps NASCAR should make Edwards forfeit 1/2 of his salary and earnings .

Nascar has become intoxicated by the lure of BIG MONEY that Television brings to the sport.
Do longtime Nascar fans want a SPECTACLE ( as it would no longer really be the GENTLEMAN'S Sport it began as ) that the NBA and to some extent the NFL has become ?

Question that need to be answered .

1) Did Keselowksi radio his team on the lap prior to the accident and alert anyone to Edwards' actions ? If so how long before that was reported to a Nascar official ?
2) Why would Edwards and his team work so hard to get back in the race if retaliation wasn't the motivating factor ? ( at the end of the race Edwards was 5 laps behind Nemechek and had no chance of moving up and earning an additional 3 points )
3) Will Edwards' crew chief be fined and suspended?
4) Who else on the Aflac team knew that Edwards only wanted to get back in the race to " pay back " Keselowski ?
5) Why wasnt Edwards " black flagged " on the previous lap when he tried but failed to wreck Keselowski?
6) Why did it take Nascar several caution laps after the incident to call Edwards into the pits ?
7) What should Nascar do about the 95 points and 10 positions Keselowski lost in the points standings due to the reckless actions of Edwards ?
8) What would the cost be to Nascar IF the #12 car had injured a fan , a Nascar team member, or an employee of Nascar or safety crew ?
9) Has Edwards put himself in legal jeopardy, or does the mere fact you are in a Nascar sanctioned event release one from ramifications from conspiring to bring harm ( or possibly death ) to a fellow participant ?
10) Will the other drivers perceive Edwards and Keselowski a bigger danger on the track than the rookies with yellow bumpers ?
11) Will AFLAC drop its sponsorship of Edwards ?
12) How many potential Sponsors will be advised by their legal team , that until Nascar solves this crisis , that legal exposure and bad publicity far out weigh any benefits from being a Sponsor?

Nascar needs to end this problem before it gains any more strength .
Edwards should be banned from participation in any race at a Nascar event for the rest of the year . Edwards' crew chief needs to find himself in the exact same position as Edwards .
The owner of the team needs a severe penalty as well .
Nascar could place Edwards in a position that no team could take the financial risk of hiring Edwards .

Big Money has found Nascar , and the actions by Edwards could have ramifications no one wants to see become a reality .
Could we see some of the prominent drivers like Earnhardt , Gordon , Johnson, Stewart , and the well entrenched teams split off and form their own league like what happened to Indy Car racing ?

This is Nascar's wake up call .
Nascar needs to pave these tracks,improve the fences and barricades , and make every effort to make the sport safe for everyone involved on the track , in the stands , and in the corporate world .

Top drivers are making 10 Million a year , plus endorsements .
Nascar is at a pivotal point,how will they handle the Edwards fiasco ?

Should Nascar institute a rule that once a damaged car is X laps down they can no longer re enter the race ?
The high speeds and aerodynamics of a track the size of Atlanta make it preposterous that a badly damaged car like Edwards' could do little more than limp around the track and be a danger and nuisance for the other cars on the track .
The poor tire provided by Goodyear for this race kept drivers from using a full tank of fuel before the tires were worn and making it dangerous to stay on the track .Functioning , unwrecked cars were getting lapped , Edwards had no chance to re enter the race and do anything but let the leaders keep lapping him .The decision to re enter the race track for a mere 3 points makes no sense at all .
The crew should have loaded the car up and started focusing on the race in BRISTOL .
I am certain Nascar will not take the chance of unleashing Edwards on a track like Bristol .
A decision by Nascar to let Edwards race at Bristol would be unpopular with fans and drivers , and a mockery for the sport .