“Teams Will Just Invest in Cheating” – Brad Keselowski on Ruthless Fines and Penalties From NASCAR

Every sport has its own set of regulations, and breaking them tends to result in dire consequences along with huge penalties and fines, especially when it comes to motorsports like NASCAR. Penalties are almost certain in races of 500 miles or more, and only the luckiest crews make it to the finish line unscathed.

In light of this, Brad Keselowski, one of the most renowned NASCAR drivers and owners, recently spoke out to Kenny Wallace about his feelings on NASCAR fines and penalties. His words seemed to back up the idea of fines for intentionally crashing automobiles for an advantage.

Brad Keselowski Feels Penalties Are Necessary for a Sport Like NASCAR

Motorists like Brad Keselowski have voiced strong support for the rules and restrictions established by the administration. He thinks that penalties are necessary for keeping the garage in order. Without it, teams are more likely to waste money on cheating, undermining the business model.

He insists that for the sport to have any credibility with the participants, it must be played honestly. He argues the focus of NASCAR should be on putting together the finest possible driver and crew, getting out on the track, and racing as hard as possible without resorting to cheating.

As Brad Keselowski put it, “Well, the fines on the cars are necessary to get control of the garage area. And without that, the business model doesn’t work because the teams will just invest in cheating. The more we invest in cheating, the tougher it gets to make the sport make any sense for us to be a part of for the long term. That’s not good for anybody. Ultimately, NASCAR needs to be about putting a great driver and a great team together going out and kicking b*tt, and not hey! Who’s got the best Fab shop that knows how to cheat the parts are the best?”

He also believes that for ages, wrecking is how racing has been, to a certain extent, with some folks nodding in agreement while others shake their heads in dissent. But we need to hit the brakes and turn away from that road immediately. And the only way NASCAR can prevent that disaster is to pool its resources and work together. The fines have caused team owners, vehicle chiefs, and team managers to completely abandon the idea of supporting cheating in any way. And that’s the key factor that revs up the engine for NASCAR. Therefore, as Brad sees it, the fines and penalties are in fine fettle.

In his own words, “And, you know, for a long time that’s what the racing was to some degree, and some people agree with that, some people disagree with that, but it can’t stay that way. So, NASCAR’s only way to keep that from happening is just to collaborate with these teams. And we’ve been clobbered; we deserve to be clobbered, and more teams are going to get clobbered; why do you get clobbered again yourselves? I hope not, but maybe they’re changing the culture in the garage, and these penalties they leave a mark.”

He maintained, “NASCAR has this big challenge… we set precedent for other forms of motor racing too, and when NASCAR lets intentional wrecking and things like this go by in terms of Blind Eye, it starts to happen in other divisions. I think we have to never forget that.”

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Brad Keselowski on Fines and Penalties in 2022: “The Sport Needs More Penalties”

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Even though NASCAR was dishing out penalties like candy in 2022, Brad Keselowski believed they weren’t enough and said NASCAR could be even more strict, although the co-owner of RFK Racing himself was one of the drivers who was most impacted by suspensions.

While addressing the media, he suggested that NASCAR just throw them out like candy. He remarked, “I personally think the sport needs more penalties, and NASCAR should be handing them out like candy right now to get control of the garage.”

In fact, Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 6 Ford, looked back on the L2-level penalty imposed on his team in 2021 and as per sports.yahoo.com, said, “It was one of the best things that ever happened to us.”

Another incident where Keselowski was penalized was: After the March 2022 race in Atlanta, when NASCAR authorities investigated Keselowski’s vehicle and, according to him, discovered a tail panel change. Keselowski lost 100 points (after earning 31 at Atlanta) and 10 playoff points (assuming he enters the playoffs), and crew chief Matt McCall was suspended for four races and fined $100,000 by NASCAR.

Even at that time, Keselowski had the option of appealing to NASCAR’s highest level of appeals authority. But he decided to take the penalty grudgingly.

When considering his overall stance on the issue as well as his prior remarks and actions, it is evident that he has always supported penalties for wrecking or any deliberate misleading. But we also know that not all players have this tendency to take penalties gracefully. Can you name a few players who usually oppose every fine or penalty forced on them?

Read More: NASCAR Legend Rips Hendrick Motorsports’ Penalty Amendment, Slams Modern State of Penalties Through Denny Hamlin’s Example