"For all the work...and all these other things they want us to do for safety, we can't even make sure we put five lug nuts on the wheel," Stewart said on Wednesday, April 20th. "This is not a game you play with safety and that's exactly the way I feel like NASCAR is treating this. This is not the way to do this."
"It's however many you think you can get away with," Stewart said. "So we're putting the drivers in jeopardy to get track position. It's not bit anybody yet, but I guarantee you that envelope is going to keep getting pushed until somebody gets hurt."
Seriously, consider, the damn lugs are inches longer than stock for safety! It's a Nascar regulation that the bolts a wheel is attached to be a couple inches long so loose nuts and loose wheels will make it back to the pits instead of killing spectators in the stands! What jackass forgot that, and decided fewer lug nuts on extra length safety studs, was logical? Morons. Even the stud hole on a NASCAR wheel has a deeper chamfer, or bevel, on the outer edge than on the inner edge. This creates a tension on the lug nut similar to that of a lock washer, preventing it from loosening.
Can you tell what it was that Brian France thought should be censored enough that he put everyone else under his gag order with a "Behavior Policy" : conduct guidelines highlighted in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book Section 12.8.1, actions that could result in a $10,000-$50,000 fine include disparaging the sport and/or NASCAR's leadership, or verbal abuse of a NASCAR Official.
Oh, there it is, pointing out that Nascar has their head up their ass. Pointing out clearly that they aren't concerned about the safety of drivers and fans (can you recall the recent coverage last August about the lug nut issue?
http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/08/is-time-saved-by-replacing-every-lug.html )
The Sprint Cup Drivers Council released a statement Thursday night on Tony Stewart’s punishment from NASCAR, supporting the three-time champion and announcing it would pay his $35,000 fine.
The statement reads:
“We as drivers believe Tony has the right to speak his opinion on topics that pertain to a sport that he has spent nearly two decades helping build as both a driver and an owner. While we do not condone drivers lashing out freely at NASCAR, we do feel Tony was in his rights to state his opinion. We as a Council support him and do not agree with the fine. Therefore, we fellow council members have agreed to contribute equally to paying his fine.”
http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2016/04/21/sprint-cup-driver-council-supports-tony-stewart-will-pay-his-fine/Up until last year, NASCAR had officials who would go over the wall with teams during a pit stop to make sure they hit all the lug nuts. This year the officials were removed and the onus to hit all lug nuts was put on the teams. The debate over whether the reward of having a faster pit stop is worth the risk of having a loose wheel has been a big one this year. It's not unusual for a team to only hit four nuts, but three is extra risky. "There have been a lot more loose wheels this year," Copp says. "[Drivers] can't stay out if they feel something loose because they don't have those extra lug nuts."
http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a27475/more-than-you-ever-want-to-know-about-nascar-tires/
