Carl Edwards’ Backflip Backfires
March 6, 2008 by Jodie Lynn Boduch
Filed under Sports Rumors
When NASCAR driver Carl Edwards won Sunday’s Sprint Cup series race in Sin City (that’s Las Vegas, for you Puritans), he also set a definite dividing line between cool and not cool.
What’s cool: Doing a backflip off your car to celebrate the victory.
What’s not cool: When snapshots of the backflip indicate a racing no-no. Namely, a missing oil tank cap, which may help air circulate through the car–resulting in as much as 10% downforce.
Edwards’ penalty was hefty: He was stripped 100 points plus 10 bonus points, knocking him out of the first place slot. In addition, the crew chief was suspended for 6 weeks and fined $100K; owner Jack Roush will also see a minus sign in front of 100 points. (Speaking of points, Robby Gordon got his 100—docked in Daytona—restored).
Fortunately, this doesn’t affect Edwards ability to help one lovebird propose to another. Interested in popping the question on the back of a racecar? Edwards is willing to be the man behind this vehicle of expression.
Anyway, that will show Carl Edwards where to do backflips. Next time, perhaps he’ll try a decidely more sensible roundoff back-handspring right on the track (across the finish line, natch).
P.S. Thanks to faithful reader Pat from Vero Beach for sending all the NASCAR dish our way!
