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NASCAR hits part-time owner-driver Carl Long with huge fine and penalties
Journeyman racer Carl Long gets NASCAR's heavy boot, with 12-race suspension (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
By Mike Mulhern
mikemulhern.net
CONCORD, N.C.
One of the stranger stories, almost bizarre, to come out of last weekend's All-star fling at Lowe's Motor Speedway finally broke Wednesday afternoon, when NASCAR hit part-time racer Carl Long with one of the biggest fines in NASCAR history --- for using an over-sized engine in Saturday's preliminary Sprint Cup race.
Long, who finished 35th – last – in the Sprint Showdown prelim after running just three laps, has been suspended the next 12 Cup events, and he's suspended from NASCAR until Aug. 18th, and he'll be on probation till the end of the year.
Long was hit with a 200-point penalty as driver, and owner Danielle Long was hit with a 200-point penalty as owner.
And Long's crew chief, Charles Swing, was fined $200,000 and also suspended 12 races and given probation till Dec. 31.
NASCAR said Long's engine exceeded the maximum of 358 cubic inches.
The 41-year-old Long, little-known outside the sport, made headlines in 2004 when he flipped his car in a Cup race at Rockingham. He's been an occasional runner in the Cup series; he finished 17th in his 150-mile heat race at Daytona in February in his only other Cup start this year.
Long also made headlines in 2000 when he qualified for the 600, and then turned his spot in the lineup over to Darrell Waltrip, who had failed to qualify for the event.
On their website Carl and his wife said "This has absolutely been the worse day for us...
"We purchased a motor at the beginning of the season. After the motor blew in practice for the showdown, nascar took it and tore it down.
There are NO illegal parts in our engine but the combination of the parts do not meet nascars specs.
"We would like to go in detail about everything that has happened over the past few days but we are planning to appeal and the less that is said the better off we will be.
"We need your support now more than ever!!"
DeeDee&Carl
Banned! (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
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What would the penalties have
What would the penalties have been if this was a Hendrick, Gibbs, or Childress team? A slap on the wrist and probation? Likely. NASCAR makes a whipping boy out of a guy just trying to get into the field who likely did nothing wrong. First they went after Mayfield, then Long, so who's the next go-or-go-homer to feel the wrath and hypocrisy of NASCAR?
nascar should pick better
nascar should pick better fights than this one. This is so completely off the wall that it is pathetic.They were so obviously not trying to cheat. Who would cheat with .17 cubes to try to win a race? Then turn the engine over to nascar instead of packing up there [illegal] engine and going home. This is the kind of thing that is turning off nascar fans that have long been involved with them. I have beeen a fan since the mid 70s and this is about the worst thing i have ever seen nascar do.Richard petty only got fined about 35000 dollars and only lost 104 points for an engine that was actually illegal. Where is the rational?
Classic David and Goliath
Classic David and Goliath scenario. NA$CAR looks bad, no matter what they do. They over-reached on this one. $200k fine and 200 points. Heh. The guy didn't have 200 points to give back. Are you kidding me?
Honest mistake. Carl Long does not have an engine shop or R&D dept. He bought the engine at auction. Sure, he bought an oversize engine so he could go out and beat Jimmie Johnson for the championship this year. How absurd. Again, NA$CAR SUCKS!
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