Second Thoughts on NASCAR: Was Joey Logano's glove penalty severe enough?
The Joey Logano glove situation was certainly a unique one in NASCAR.
When word started to circulate Sunday morning that Logano would have to serve a pass-through at the start of the race at Atlanta, I initially thought it was because he had altered the window net when tugging at it in sticking his fingers through the window in qualifying.
NASCAR allows drivers to stick their fingers out in qualifying. Drivers do it because it can add just enough drag to make a difference in speed. The rules require that the window net, though, must stay in position and the holes can't change shape. As drivers were seen being a little more aggressive when sticking their fingers through the window net in qualifying, there was chatter on whether there could be a penalty.
But Logano's penalty ended up being for his glove, which when looked at closely, appeared to be more like a catcher's mitt in areas. NASCAR rules are specific that safety equipment can't be altered in any way other than what is dictated by the manufacturer. Obviously, the glove manufacturer isn't going to endorse additional materials being added as the glove material is fireproof and must be certified by the international racing safety organization SFI.
NASCAR took the view that it pretty much disqualified him from qualifying by making him start at the rear and then also do a pass-through for the use of a device in qualifying that impacted competition. Luckily for Logano, the caution came out during his pass-through and he remained on the lead lap instead of ending up likely two laps down.
He then was fined $10,000 — the same fine NASCAR has issued in the past for not wearing a head sock (another safety equipment violation).
So were the penalties enough? Yes and no. If Logano had been two laps down and it took him a couple of stages to get back on the lead lap, that would have been a potential penalty of up to 20 points (considering Logano likely would have been in contention for 10 stage points in each stage).
Instead, it barely impacted him from a competition standpoint. So consider him lucky and maybe file it under the term of "that's racing."
'A safety violation' - Larry McReynolds on Joey Logano's glove penalty
Not penalizing him additional points isn't a travesty of justice — this glove would be used only in qualifying and the likelihood of catching fire in a single-car qualifying run is incredibly minimal.
So props to Logano or his team for trying something unique, especially when they knew they had an in-car camera. But if NASCAR doesn't want to see more of this, it might have been better off penalizing him additional points to serve as a stronger deterrent.
A 10-point or 20-point penalty would easily have been justified for creating a piece of equipment to deflect the air — especially when considering two Stewart-Haas teams received a 35-point penalty for roof air deflectors that were never used (but would have been used for an entire race if left on the car). An extra points penalty certainly would make teams and drivers think twice the next time they consider a way to deflect the air.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
