Memphis, Tennessee
June 30 2007.
- Nascar would make Ted sit this one out.
- It was for what happened at Milwaukee.
- My take on what happened........
- Ted was 7th on a restart on lap 71 of 200.
- He was passing a lap down truck on the outside between turns one and two.
- The lap down truck #21 Kelly Bires got loose and caught Ted's front bumper.
- The two trucks then went up into the wall with heavy damage to both.
- Bires tried to take off and hit the wall a few hundred feet later.
- Ted re-fires his truck and comes up along Bires and hits his truck.
- Ted then hits the gas and shoves him for about 10 feet.
- For this action Nascar tells Ted to take a seat for the rest of this race.
- That is what happened.
- It didn't end there however.
- Nascar decided to dock Ted 50 driver points and fine him $10,000.
- And Nascar told Ted that he would be suspended for one race.
- Ted will also be on probation for the rest of the year.
- Here is where the controversy comes in.
- I would reluctantly have to accept the black flag at Milwaukee.
- I would have to also accept the docking of points and the fine.
- However............... Sitting Ted for a race in my mind was just plain wrong.
- I can come up with a bunch of examples of worse things drivers have done on the track to fellow drivers.
- Some have gotten fines, some have gotten points taken away, but NONE got a race suspension.
- Nascar said: Musgrave was found to be in violation of Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing; hitting another competitor's truck during a caution period) of the 2007 NASCAR rule book.
- I also read: NASCAR Communications Director Ramsey Poston explained that Ted Musgrave's harsh punishment was because of a "total disregard for the safety of another competitor."
- A weapon?
- Ted may of been going 35 mph tops.
- Bires was strapped in with ALL sorts of restraints as well as a roll cage.
- Ted was NOT trying to hurt anyone, he was just sending a message.
- So I guess when a driver nudges someone during the green it's ok.
- Spin a guy on a restart, in the corner, bump him going down the backstretch is ok?
- Just a racing deal?
- Not a weapon under green?
- If the other driver doesn't wreck it's ok?
- Penalize Ted for what he did I accept.
- Sit him for one race I can not.
- I also read this: The incident also happened on the track, closer to the fans and possibly creating another safety issue there, another factor the sanctioning body considered.
- This is totally not true.
- There are no stands on the back stretch at Milwaukee.
- As for the comments after the race and after Ted's suspension by Bires.
- "I really don't know what happened. Someone told me 'inside' and 'outside.' Next thing I knew I had someone in my right or left rear, I'm not sure, and just ran over me, basically. I'm just trying to stay out of the way yet remain competitive and get the lap back."
- What? You admit you heard inside then outside and you still didn't hold your line?
- Someone ran over you? You didn't know you were loose and drifting high in the turn?
- Stay competitive? If you are loose...Uhhh slow down! The best way to stay competitive is to have control over your vehicle at all times.
- Then when news of Ted's suspension got to Bires he says this...
- I can't comment on such a rediculous statement, but....."He wrecked me there and then got back into me"????
- Have you NOT seen the replay?
- One thing just about everyone on either side of this issue can agree on is that it was a rookie mistake, you were driving too fast with traffic around you.
- Let the carousel in the #21 seat continue.
- Thats all I got to say about that.
- Team ASE was at Memphis with Brad Keselowski driving.
- Brad got the pole, lead a bunch of laps and came within laps of winning.
- "A racing deal?" in a corner stopped him from winning.
- A great rebound for Team ASE.
- Ted comes back to drive in Kentucky.
- To the front Ted.
- We now know what is ok to do and what is not ok to do.
- Or do we?
- Just win Baby!
- Thats all we got left now.