I’ve never really been someone that follows Nascar. I would say that after watching the Will Ferrell movie “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”, I got an idea about the culture and people of Nascar. I am still amazed that it is considered a sport– the car does most of the work. 🙂 Anyway, it seems that Nascar has a crisis on their hands. It seems that one of their drivers, Michael Waltrip, and his crew had some ‘suspicious’ liquid found in his engine. How was the situation handled? The crew of Waltrip was fined and suspended indefinitely, got a clear message from their car sponsor, Toyota. Toyota plans on writing a letter to all their drivers and state that if this situation happens again, they will lose their sponsorship.
Waltrip made the following statement regarding this crisis:
“I respect NASCAR’s rules, its people and the sport’s integrity, which is why I am so sad and embarrassed,” Waltrip said. “I am dedicated to get to the bottom of this because I will not let the independent act of an individual or individuals tarnish the incredible accomplishment my organization has made to be where we are today.”
Nascar is making sure that all of the drivers understand that they are very serious about tampering with engines, tires, and other parts of their car. This is just one of their key messages, and it is important to stick to it. They understand the fact that there will be those that will break their rules, and Nascar will have to make sure they face the consequences. Toyota is taking a strong stance on this matter– because they know that since it was one of their cars and their name is now in the news with this crisis. Toyota wants to make sure that they cover their bases and if that means taking strong measures– they will do it to protect their brand and reputation among their audiences.
It will be interesting to see if others in Nascar are found to be tampering with their engines or anything else. Cheating is just wrong– and those that cheat need to face the consequences and should not be tolerated. But– this may be just one driver– what about others? This raises the question: what ELSE are people doing? Are drivers trying to get around the rules in other ways? Nascar has their hands full in this situation, but what they need to do now is get all of the facts, do a thorough investigation, and communicate it effectively to their fans, media, and sponsors in a timely manner.
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