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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Banning blocking would go against the basic concept of racing

Out of all the talk that has surfaced since Carl Edwards’ scary wreck at Talladega, one thing has been very disturbing to me.

There is talk of a punishing drivers for blocking, a ridiculous move that fundamentally goes against what racing stands for … competition.

I recognize that Edwards’ move to the bottom to try to block Keselowski, which came a second too late, led to his crazy ride.

But at the same time, if he hadn’t made that move, I don’t know how he could look himself in the mirror and call himself a racer.

Winning races is not just about having the fastest car. It’s also about knowing how to handle your car and deal with people trying to pass you. If NASCAR mandated that cars were not allowed to block and had to let faster cars pass them, then what the hell is the point of racing?

If that’s the case, let’s just do a wind tunnel test, see who’s fastest, and hand out finishing positions based on the results of the test.

I want to see cars race. I want to see cars swoop down low to block the inside lane and protect their position. Then, if the car behind them tries to go high, I want them to go high and try to protect their position.

It’s exciting, and it’s a big part of what racing is all about. Just because the car in 2nd place is faster doesn’t mean it will always win, and that’s one of the greatest things about racing.

I don’t think it will come to a blocking ban, like many open-wheel series have, but if it ever happens fans should be disgusted.

Banning blocking is not what racing is about, and I hope NASCAR won’t let this one wreck inspire a rule that would kill the quality of racing in the sport.

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