NASCAR's Missed Opportunity

It was more like a pat on the back than a slap on the wrist.

In fact, NASCAR practically gave Carl Edwards a "high-five" Tuesday afternoon in handing out a meager, guess-we-gotta-do-something, three-race probation to the high wattage driver for his dangerous on-track retaliation Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Footage of Edwards intentionally wrecking Brad Keselowski late in Sunday's Sprint Cup Series race -- Keselowski's car launched in the air and slammed down on the retaining wall -- has made the network news and piqued interest overseas.

Even the tabloid show Inside Edition was asking NASCAR President Mike Helton questions after his announcement that Edwards would not face any severe penalties for his high speed "gotcha".

Part of what makes this case both rare and interesting is that there has been so much outrage and so many calls for a driver to be suspended for his actions on-track.

After all, this is a sport whose most celebrated entry into the American consciousness 31 years ago wasn't a dramatic last-lap pass for victory, but a last-lap, knock-down, drag-out between brothers Bobby and Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough in the Daytona International Speedway infield.

NASCAR officials told the drivers to "have at it" this season, confident that loosening the reins of patrol and encouraging a little more "rubbin is racin'" style of play would certainly and immediately fill up grandstands and boost sagging television ratings.

I give NASCAR credit on this: the punishment -- or lack of -- is at least consistent with that philosophy.

And so the masses have won. NASCAR has affirmed that the voice of the fan trumps all. Make sure to check that box for "strongly approve" in your next fan survey.

The thing is, the sport doesn't need some massive overhaul. It doesn't need to manufacture excitement. Adding in double-file restarts and overtime finishes is one thing. But allowing drivers to blatantly throw caution to the wind at the potential expense of injury or death is, to put it in Keselowski's terms, "not cool.''

Helton insisted that it will know when to draw the line "when we see it" and repeatedly maintained the more serious issue is that Keselowski's car went airborne at all. That is a very viable concern. But it shouldn't be a case of bait-and-switch.

His car went airborne because it was shoved by an angry driver 100 laps down avenging a grudge. This was road rage at its most dangerous.

And condoning that kind of behavior in the name of ticket sales shouldn't be acceptable. This measly three-race probation sends the message that it absolutely is.

The downturn in attendance, souvenir sales, car counts, sponsorships and to some degree viewership, isn't because NASCAR's product is bad or in need of some magical savior.

"It's the economy, stupid."

The racing is competitive. There are colorful personalities and compelling story lines. And there is plenty of banging fenders and settling scores.

The late Dale Earnhardt was famous for this. But he was smarter at it.

And that's what this really comes down to. These guys have got to be smarter about it.

The great intensity that fuels rivalries and grudges is the same passion that attracts us to this sport. It's not the cars, but the drivers -- the people -- that lure us in and captivate our attention.

Real fans like bumping and banging. They don't really want to see their drivers injured.

But you can bet your left lug nut that if Sunday's dust-up involved a lower-profile driver than Edwards, the outcome would be different. For that matter,if it were the young, lesser-known Keselowski settling a score, the outcome might well be different.

Robby Gordon has gotten stiffer punishment for just looking cross-eyed at a NASCAR official.

"I'm thinking about asking for a refund of all my penalties,'' driver Kevin Harvick joked via Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

Carl Edwards didn't exhibit criminal behavior -- that's ludicrous -- and he didn't want Brad Keselowski to get hurt. He just wanted to teach him a lesson.

But as Edwards, a former substitute teacher, can surely appreciate, there are plenty of lessons to go around.

Hopefully this near-miss doesn't prove to be too much of a missed opportunity.