NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR takes tough stance

Published Oct. 30, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

NASCAR issued a warning to competitors during the prerace drivers meeting Sunday at Martinsville: If you intentionally cause a caution, it could result in a three-lap penalty.

NASCAR has used the penalty box as a repercussion for shenanigans before. But on a short track, if a driver feigns immobility because of a flat tire or other malfunction, the sanctioning body will enforce a penalty if deemed necessary.

“This isn’t new,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition. “We’re reminding them that if they intentionally cause a caution we will impose a penalty. (Three laps), that’s probably what you would lose under green. We’re reminding them that you’re getting a penalty for intentionally parking to bring out a caution.

“Mainly it’s a product of a short-track (racing) because you can use so many laps. Now that you have consolidated pit roads that are one long one, you can literally lose three laps or more.

"It’s more so everyone makes an effort to get to pit road, not screw up the show for anyone else. Nobody should be surprised by it.”

Asked by FOXSports.com if he was going to keep an eye on teammates, Pemberton replied, "We watch everything. That's the only answer I can give you because it's true. We watch it all.

"Whether it's teammate or not teammate. There's so many affiliations out there today that you do your best to keep it all in front of you and pay attention to all of it."

Although Pemberton would not offer a specific incident when such a practice has happened, given all the different alliances on the racetrack with shared manufacturers and engine programs, numerous stoppages have occurred at opportune times for teams.

One curious situation occurred at Richmond International Raceway in September where Landon Cassill’s Lap 163 spin on the frontstretch enabled Dale Earnhardt Jr. to get his lap back as a free-pass beneficiary. Cassill drives for Phoenix Racing, which receives both its cars and engines from Hendrick Motorsports.