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NASCAR has made billions of dollars over the years licensing nearly any kind of merchandise and souvenir possible.
After the turn of events this week, the new NASCAR "Can of Worms" is the latest product to hit the market.
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| Carl Edwards has points taken away and yet he's still the Vegas winner. (Getty Images) |
First came the ruling on Carl Edwards' oil reservoir lid, which was originally reported as being missing but later simply loose, with one of its bolts gone.
The winner in Las Vegas was slapped with a 100-point penalty as well as losing the 10-point bonus for the victory that would have been used to seed the Chase should Edwards make the postseason.
So on the one hand, NASCAR is saying the car was illegal and Roush Fenway racing is guilty of cheating. One hundred points were taken away as well as the 10 bonus points.
Yet Edwards is still considered the winner of the UAW-Dodge 400.
Which is it?
If the 10 points are erased, how can Edwards still be considered the winner in a car that was clearly outside the rulebook?
Team owner Jack Roush and the organization's president, Geoff Smith, steadfastly claimed the missing bolt was not intentional and simply a failure that took place over the course of a 400-mile race.
Perhaps they're right.
Now I'll admit that I can't change the oil on my family car, so I spoke to some other mechanics and crewmembers that are well-versed in the intricate details of a NASCAR engine.
Basically, all told me any type of air that is allowed to be sucked into an open vent such as an oil reservoir would provide additional down force, a coveted aerodynamic edge, especially with the new Sprint Cup car.
