It completely amazes me when a Race Team is having a successful season, the first thing said is “They’re a bunch of cheaters!” Cheating or I should say, bending the rules, living in the gray area, has been a huge part of NASCAR since the inception. It has always been the perception, “If it is not in the rule book, it must be OK”. Rules have been bent by many teams, many Crew Chiefs, many drivers, and will until the end of time or racing, whichever comes first. The old adage was and still is, “if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying … if you get caught, you ain’t trying hard enough”. Some of the best Crew Chiefs in the history of NASCAR have been accused of this practice. Why? Because, if they are that much better than anyone else, they are cheating. You never hear, “Those guys are good, they are much more technically savvy than we are” or, “They are really on top of their game!” No, hardly ever. Why? Because, we as humans find defeat hard to take. It is always easier to make an excuse than it is to find a solution. It is easier to cast blame than to try harder and find that one little thing to improve on, to make us better or equal.

For once, do some soul searching. Enjoy the competition. Pull for your favorite, but, appreciate the sacrifices and hard work the competition has put forth to get them there. Enjoy the race, forget the controversy, eat a hot dog, and drink your beverage of choice. Enjoy the fact you have an opportunity to watch some of the most gifted and talented race car drivers in the world. Feel sad your team lost, if you don’t, you have no emotion in your life. Be thankful you had good entertainment, hopefully a safe race, and know that next week your favorite has a new opportunity for success.

Now before the naysayers start, yes I do have my favorite drivers. But, first and foremost, I am a race fan and enjoy the competitive spirit of the sport. If my favorite driver does not win, the sun will still come up tomorrow. If not, it really doesn’t matter does it?