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Folks,
I guess I look at the penalties handed out in more of a "punishment to fit the crime" perspective. The difficult thing the officials have to decide is whether the "crime" has a strong potential of changing the complexion of the race, thereby deciding the outcome. We all, including those officiating, want the race to be won by the racer on the race track. Unless the offense is obviously aggregious, the officials try desperately to refrain from letting the decisions they are forced to make in the heat of the moment take the race outcome out of the racer's hands. From my perspective, I'm not sure how much "advantage" was gained by getting over the wall 30-60 seconds before the red was opened, so I have no objection to the call to continue the race as it was and hand out punishment later.
Just my perspective.
Tim Simmons
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