David Gilliland Takes Out Juan Pablo Montoya: What Is NASCAR's Response?

After David Gilliland wrecked Juan Pablo Montoya last week at Texas, some questions needed to be asked. Will there or won't there be further penalties handed down to David Gilliland and the No. 38 car?

What will the decision be based on? Does someone need to get hurt before a penalty is set?

Or does the penalty just depend on who you are?  Let's say Dale Earnhardt, Jr. got pounded purposely into the wall.  What would the standard be then? 

I'm sure David Gilliland is a very nice man, but not one commentator on the broadcast media believes the story he told about the wreck. After the wreck, Gilliland said "I was trying to let him go and got a good run off the corner and just kind of misjudged it coming down across him."

Gilliland continued "I was going to let him go, so I feel real bad for those guys. I guess they were running on the lead lap, and now our team is parked, so I feel real bad for my team."  Ahh, no son!  

That story you are telling is simply not believable, except maybe by NASCAR. I have been visiting many web sites and not one has said it was an accident and most believe the driver should be suspended for the rest of the season.

On the NASCAR NOW show, one commentator said Gilliland should be suspended for the rest of the season. The rest of the panel thought it was not proper for a professional driver to do what he did.

The only one I did not understand was Mike Massaro. He sort of thought it was alright, but then not. I guess he wants to be on both sides of the fence.

To me this is simple: Either you think is okay to hit someone at 180 miles an hour on purpose or you think it is unacceptable.  There is no gray area there and no yellow line to cross.

It's simple. I hope they reconsider and give Mr. Gilliland the suspension he deserves.  Who knows, it may even help him be a better driver in the future.

I had a long editorial written on this subject, as this incident really has gotten my attention. But I'm going to fallow my music teacher advice on filling dead space and pick a few notes and let silence play the rest.

I believe it was wrong to wreck someone on purpose at 180 mph, don't you? It was also wrong for NASCAR not to suspend or fine #38, especially since they fine folks thousands of dollars for having something too short or too long, too big or too little, and countless other violations they look for week in and week out. 

Yet NASCAR doesn't think a man who is slammed purposely into a wall at 180 mph is a worthy event that deserves some kind of disciplinary action?   Honest to God, I just don't understand this NASCAR decision.  But I will keep trying.