(workingonmyredneck file photo)
After reviewing Kevin Harvick’s statement about his required meeting with Kyle Busch in the “NASCAR Oval Office” after the race at Darlington, I am not sure if it was the truth, a typo, a play on words, or just bad grammar.
This is what Kevin Harvick was quoted as saying after being called into the NASCAR hauler and being “chewed out” by the NASCAR officials over his confrontation with Kyle Busch after the end of the Darlington race. According to the printed script, Havick said, “That was basically the jest of the meeting.”
Do you think that Harvick meant “that was basically the gist of the meeting”?
However, in this case, the correct word could be jest!
NASCAR fined, both Harvick and Kyle, $25,000 and placing them on a four race probation. This my friends is a pittance! It is merely a dough-for-show fine! It appears that NASCAR had to levy something in order to keep the “Have at ’em boys” from escalating into a full time destruction derby, rather than a 500 mile competitive race.
However, it is understandable when drivers complain that NASCAR is too arbitrary in its rules enforcement. NASCAR sends mixed signals to its drivers with a “Have at ’em boys”, then the next day it hands out fines and probation for putting a ding in a race car! Is that confusing, or what?
To be totally fair to NASCAR, that sanctioning body has to tread a very fine line. If the racing becomes too bland, the viewership dwindles, and revenue falls. If the racing becomes too aggressive, there is a possibility of someone getting hurt. Therein lies the reason that NASCAR occasionally has to make “a token foul” call, to maintain their control!
Having said all of that, sometimes the best call is no call at all!
Nevertheless, NASCAR felt compelled to do something in the Kevin and Kyle Show, and therefore, did as little as humanly possible. A four race probation and a $25,000 fine is merely chump change to these millionaires, and is totally meaningless! The sanctioning body, NASCAR, is not going to suspend two of its most exciting race car drivers. Remember the words, revenue and viewership!
In fact, NASCAR should be sending these two drivers their $25,000 back, a huge thank you note to each, and quite possibly an all-expense paid trip somewhere in the off-season for both! That incident has paid huge dividends to NASCAR since it has happened!
Replays and re-hashes of their Darlington donnybrook got twice as much air time and column inches throughout the following week than any other event so far this season. And it will be replayed again and again during lulls in the action and leading up to this weekend’s All-Star race. It has created its own “firestorm”! That is good for viewership and revenue, remember those words!
Kyle and Kevin were told to play nice, but they know there is no bite in NASCAR’s bark.
The gist of it is that it’s all in jest!
What is your take on the Kevin and Kyle Show?
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
