Rusty fined for retaliation
NASCAR has fined driver Nextel Cup veteran Rusty Wallace $US10,000 for deliberately driving into the Dodge Intrepid of Penske Racing South team-mate Ryan Newman, apparently in retaliation for an incident on the track, on the slow down lap after the race at Martinsville two weeks ago. No points were deducted
Newman (one of ten drivers in the Chase for the Cup) charged roughly past Wallace (who was eliminated from the chase at the cut off point in September) for second place in the closing stages of the Martinsville race, and Rusty, senior member of the Penske stock car troupe, was not pleased. Due partly to his loss of momentum during the incident, Wallace finished tenth.
Afterward, Wallace followed Newman onto the pit lane, where the top five cars were held prior to inspection. As the cars slowed, Wallace bumped Newman's car in the rear, with no real damage being done.
NASCAR, frowning on retaliation, dealt the fine under Section 12-4-A, the notorious "actions detrimental to stock car racing" clause, the omnibus rulebook statement under which NASCAR imposes most procedural penalties.
The Penske teams normally present a solid, unified front, but there has been friction at times between Wallace and his team-mates, present and past. Wallace, part-owner of the group, has announced he will retire after next season.
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