Lets only put on a % of the available lug nuts so a team can have a faster pit stop! Yes, as crazy as that may sound that is part of the 2016 NASCAR rules package!!! Each week we now see drivers/teams concerned they might have a loose wheel ? What could possibly go wrong with a car missing a wheel/tire and a errant wheel/tire rolling around? If all teams are required to have 5 lug nuts and the pit stops last an extra second I can see how that would ruin a race, but a serious crash or a wheel bouncing around the spectator area is incidental?
And there seems to be only one man left in NASCAR that hasn't sold his set to a sponsor!! Tony Stewart was fined this week by NASCAR for voicing his opinion about the danger involved when only partially securing a wheel/tire....I'M SORRY I HAVE TO STOP AND LAUGH EVERY TIME I TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE THOUGHT OF ONLY PARTIALLY SECURING A WHEEL!!!! Someone smarter than me at NASCAR must know that a PARTIALLY SECURED WHEEL is not some % more dangerous than a SECURED WHEEL?
He made the "mistake" of daring to question the wisdom of the all knowing Brain France. The very man who is primarily responsible for the incredible shrinking of one of the biggest sports brands going.
This lug nut rule would seem to be playing with fire somewhat unnecessarily. A wheel coming off is probably the most catastrophic failure for a car in terms of the type of crashes it can lead to. Just seems like asking for trouble to skirt that rule but I'm sure Brain knows what he is doing. Just look what he is doing for attendance at Bristol!!
All Tony said, Is I question the commitment to safety if they aren't going to require five lug nuts per wheel. Fined 35k for conduct detrimental to nascar...............
A wheel killing about ten people would be detrimental. A question on safety is just words.............
Mike Helton has run the sport into the absolute ground.
It's not about safety, it's all about money. NASCAR used to have officials in each pit watching for infractions including lugnuts. No more, it's done with cameras overhead which cant see lugnuts. NASCAR saves the expenses of 42 officials each weekend which is big bucks at the end of the year.
So lets take this to the logical end... I work at Joe Blow Tire Shop and only put 3 lug nuts back on each wheel of your car because it saves me time and no big deal right because NASCAR says its okay. Almighty NASCAR says it's okay so lets chisel it in stone and add it in with the 10 commandments. What could possibly go wrong?
