NASCAR’s Pemberton defends Darlington officiating, even from Gordon
Quote selected text Published May 15th, 2007 in NASCAR News
With high-profile drivers openly questioning officiating after Sunday’s Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, NASCAR vice president for competition Robin Pemberton on Monday defended the sanctioning body.
“We stand by what we do and the calls that we make,” Pemberton said. “Obviously, no matter what call we make people are going to be divided on whether it’s right or wrong. But I feel we do a good job.
“We’re going to march on and we’re going to make the best calls possible for the entire field.”
Winner Jeff Gordon and runner-up Denny Hamlin both leveled criticism at NASCAR about why a caution for debris on the track was not called in the final laps.
“There was somebody’s entire fender and underbody on the race track,” Hamlin said. “I saw that and I literally pumped my fist in the car because I knew a caution was going to come out. But no caution, and Hendrick (Motorsports) gets another break. I don’t mean to open up another can of worms on that one.”
It’s not a new can. Tony Stewart, Hamlin’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, said after he finished second to Gordon at Phoenix last month that NASCAR throws cautions for debris when there’s no debris to manipulate competition, and he compared stock-car racing officiating to that seen in professional wrestling.
But it’s not only the people finishing second who are questioning NASCAR.
“Absolutely (there) should have been a caution at the end,” Gordon said after a fourth straight Hendrick victory and eighth in nine races. “But there shouldn’t have been one before that when we really checked out and those guys never even had a chance at catching us. That comes back to the inconsistency.”
More at ThatsRacin.com
- NASCAR to add practice day to Darlington race weekend
- NASCAR defends decision to postpone race until Monday
- NASCAR’s Pemberton says Busch penalty was appropriate
- NASCAR responds to Stewart’s comments
- Gordon, Blaney conduct Goodyear tire testing at Darlington
man nascar neeeds to be more on top of this or people r gunna start not watching and going to nascar events
I didn’t watch this race because i knew nascar was going to pull some crap and give hendrick a break.
Guess I was right.. Oh well.
-Chris
HAHA…I agree 110%! Hell I just canceled my cable because the only thing I would watch was NASCAR. I’m tired of it…this isn’t even racing anymore!
You know, I have only been watching since 2002, and I have noticed the increase of these so called debris cautions when they aren’t needed, but I believe this is a first. Not calling a caution when it was needed. These officals really need to get their heads together because they are loosing fans. This is getting just plain stupid. They aren’t allowing these guys to race and show that they have talent, it seems to me they are allowing certain teams to have an advantage and that is not right.
You know, I have only been watching since 2002, and I have noticed the increase of these so called debris cautions when they aren’t needed, but I believe this is a first. Not calling a caution when it was needed. These officals really need to get their heads together because they are loosing fans. This is getting just plain stupid. They aren’t allowing these guys to race and show that they have talent, it seems to me they are allowing certain teams to have an advantage and that is not right.
I can’t belive Gordon is even Questioning nascar. He is the one they cheat for. I guess you can’t make it look to obvious.
…And this is why I am NOT going to the pepsi 400 in daytona.
It is a yearly event for me, but no..NASCAR ruined it. Forget it.
I’m not wasting my money on a rigged race..I forgot to post that.
NASCAR is inconsistent. Don’t get your panties in a wad over this one. There will be a much better time. NASCAR IS admitting what they’re doing for the most part. I honestly believe that these cautions or lack of recently were not targeting anyone specifically to hurt or help. No one person is perfect and groups of people only magnify stupidity.
you know, you keep saying how gordon is cheating but jr is the one who got busted.
I can’t believe a company could be so disconnected from its CUSTOMERS. That’s what we are.
The Chase was not to improve competition, expanding it to 12 definitely doesn’t improve competition, restrictor plates don’t improve competition, standard 1.5 mile race tracks don’t improve competition, throwing cautions to bunch up the field doesn’t….. (the list goes on). So how can a company who claims to have a product that is a sport (which by definition is competition) stand by decisions they make that go against competition and even safety for that matter. Not that I give a crap about some minor debris on the last few laps that’s not in the racing groove… But if NASCAR officials are going to stand by what they say they need to make sure they’re saying or doing the same type of thing every time. NASCAR really needs to re-evaluate its purpose. Money or racing?
Hell, I just went down to the snack machine here at work and they have friggin’ NASCAR chicken sandwiches in there!! I don’t see how they can be focus on racing when they’re wasting their time on marketing. If they do what’s right the money and interest will come regardless of how much they’re pushing advertising on everyone.
“Stand by” and “march on”, Robin Pemberton. Go laugh it up and count your money with Darby and France.
iv
e been watching nascar all my life .this what we have today is crap.you mean to tell me that gordons team is so brilian that theuy can figure out how to win every race and it not be rigged.all these rule changes to make compition closer guess what it doesnt work i say go back to when it was racing take the restrictor plates off let horsepower prove the race and nascar quit cheating for thier favorite team .i mean im so disgusted im about to quit watching till the cheating stops
Well, there goes my scoring of tickets to Dover. I’ll get a better shot at watching a WWE Pay Per View. Same Drama, but at least you KNOW wrestling is fake!
Are you SURE that Vince McMahon isn’t a part of the NASCAR Management team? I’m just saying……
Well the idiot that said that Dale Jr. was cheating not Gordon, this is the fist time I can remember that Dale was caught for a infraction. This infraction did not improve car performance and met all of the templates that NASCAR has but was only caught when an adjustment was made by a DEI crew member that reported it to Eury jr. How many times has Gordon been caught for haveing his car to low? Ok thank you now shut up and go watch F1. Anyways NASCAR has lost many fans because of stupid decisions such as letting Hendricks walk away with 8 of 9 races. After Dale Sr.’s death I didnt watch it as much mostly the last 100 laps or so now I dont watch any its a waste of time I bet my friend 100$’s that a Hendrick car would win so Thanks NASCAR for making me 100 bucks richer. NASCAR has went to pot and I think WINSTON needs to come back because NEXTEL sucks at running a racing series NASCAR racing sucks now. I was planning to attend the 50th Daytona 500 but screw that my 1,000+ dollars can be spent on me a new truck, because everyone knows that a Hendrick car will win why go?
Nascar is doing what people are complaing about. people complain that there’s too many cautions for debris and they get treated like crap for it. nascar doesn’t thorw a cauition for debris and people STILL ripp at them. True fans wouldn’t kepp ripping on them and apeole are just mad at Hendrick for being a dominating team this year. What about roush last year whooping butt last year. n one ripped them . come on just stopp complaining about people who win. i do agree a full fender needed to get a caution to be picked up.
Kewl, all these fans not wanting to go to the events gives me a better chance to get tickets. Thanx guys.
no none ripped roush because roush never cheated last year. they never had cautions at every race to benefit them when they werent leading. ryan pemberton and crew can suck my left nut because everybody knos when they speak that theyre full of shit. even some of the hendrick fans are gettin tired of nascar cheatin. nascar will be fun again when u get rid of the people runnin it.
they all cheat,sometimes they get caught sometimes they don’t and I agree with serge, thanks more tickets for those of us fans that are truly fans through thick and thin we stay.
Im going to have to agree with KK, everybody is crying and moaning over their drivers less then lack luster of a career, while the real fans still enjoy watching the races. and Josh dont you attack me just because your driver is having a bad season.
I forgot to add that i was just pointing out the truth, JR has been caught, and im not saying how many times or what, im just saying that that is what is going on right now, Jr was caught with a part that shouldnt have been on his car, i believe that it has been pointed out before, this isnt the first COT race, so Eury Jr knows that can and cant be put on his race car, and if he couldnt remember before, he sure will now.
Nascar is going to do what ever they want. They do it cuz they can. Just like The Nfl!! Just learn to deal with it and move on or sit here and bitch about it and get no where. It’s just typical for non hendrick fans to make excuses right now. But if it were Jr. winning all these races, do you really think we would be sitting here listening to all these people cry like babies!!! heres a frickin tissue. Go cry to your mooma’s maybe they will listen!!!