When Jimmy Watts went onto the racetrack at Atlanta, he violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 9-15-U (crew members cannot for any reason go onto the racetrack while cars or racing or running under the yellow or red flag, unless a NASCAR official directs the action) of NASCAR code, triggering a four-race suspension and a nine-month probationary period while also penalizing his crew chief, Frank Kerr. Kerr, the chief of Ambrose's No. 47 Toyota, also got slapped with a hefty fine and was placed on NASCAR probation until December 31 for violating Sections 12-1 and 9-4-A (crew chief assumes responsibility for his team members' actions).
Watts works as a fireman while he's not in the pit for Marcos Ambrose's team, and his automatic reaction to chase after the tire could be a result of his instinctive job and intense firefighting training. The gasman did offer an apology to NASCAR after the race, saying, "Everything happened so fast on pit road that I just didn't realize how far I had to go out until I grabbed the tire. I put myself in jeopardy and I know how hard NASCAR works to make the pit crew members safe on pit road. I stand by their decision and will serve my four-race suspension."
The caution flag that resulted from Watts stepping foot onto the racetrack at the Atlanta Motor Speedway may have had an effect on the race's outcome, as NASCAR officials would have waited for the green flag stops to cycle out before calling a caution had Watts not chased after the tire, keeping all the cars on pit sequence. Instead, however, the caution flag went up, and some of the Sprint Cup drivers are not pleased with the results. Matt Kenseth recently made a seething comment about the incident, saying, "Maybe he's new. Maybe he hasn't seen us drive, but we tend to wreck a lot. I wouldn't want to be out in the middle of the grass."
What's done is done, however, and Watts will have to come back from his four-race suspension at the end of April and prove that his talents outweigh his one big mistake. In the meantime, the racing will continue, and tickets to NASCAR races are always available online.
This article is sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling NASCAR tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.
Article Source: NASCAR Tickets - Jimmy Watts' Big Mistake
Source: http://www.articlespan.com/article/250667/nascar-tickets-jimmy-watts-big-mistake
No comments:
Post a Comment