Carl Edwards’ dramatic move saves NASCAR from another ugly mess – Sporting News

Sometimes NASCAR can’t seem to get out of its own way. 

Sometimes, even when things are going well, it manages to step in a heaping pile of dung, leaving it with a stinking mess. 

But somehow, miraculously, the sport almost always comes out smelling like a rose. 

MORE: Why Edwards bumped his teammate | Busch has little to say

How?

By continuing to produce thrilling races and dramatic finishes that make people forget all about the sport’s problems and remind them why they love NASCAR-style stock-car racing. 

Just when things seem at their worst, NASCAR always seems to save itself with another exciting race. If nothing else, the sport has impeccable timing. 

It has happened all season, and happened again Sunday with a thrilling finish at Richmond International Raceway. 

NASCAR got off to a tremendous start this season, with the Daytona 500 ending in one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history. The spectacular photo finish between winner Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. gave NASCAR tremendous momentum to kick off the 2016 season. 

NASCAR CEO Brian France quickly sapped much of that momentum, however, by sinking the sport knee-deep in controversy when he publicly endorsed presidential candidate Donald Trump. One series sponsor publicly ripped France for the endorsement and others were reportedly not happy. Suddenly, NASCAR was having to defend France’s “personal” endorsement and distance itself from the offensive and polarizing Trump. 

But with the sport reeling from negative publicity, NASCAR delivered again, with Kevin Harvick edging Carl Edwards at Phoenix with another photo finish — the margin of victory matching the Daytona spectacle. 

Suddenly, after the Phoenix finish, people were talking about NASCAR for all the right reasons again, marveling over how it produced two of the closest finishes ever in its first four races of the season. With one dramatic moment, NASCAR got a brief respite from all the ugliness over the Trump controversy.

Then NASCAR stepped in it again this week. A few days after a disappointing crowd and a ho-hum race at Bristol — once one of the most popular and exciting tracks — Tony Stewart seemed to energize the sport by announcing that he would return from injury this weekend at Richmond. 

RICHMOND RACE: Stewart has long day | Results | Photos 

NASCAR was hoping to get a big boost this season from Smoke’s retirement tour. The three-time champion was hoping to go out in a blaze of glory, perhaps orchestrating one more magical championship run, much the way the retiring Jeff Gordon did last season. Instead, Stewart broke his back riding a sand buggy just before the Daytona 500 and missed the first eight races, dealing the sport a depressing setback before the first green flag.  

His timely comeback this weekend had everyone talking and eagerly anticipating his return at Richmond. 

And then NASCAR managed to muck that up. 

One of the things that makes Stewart one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers and colorful personalities is his propensity for speaking his mind and taking NASCAR to task when he believes the chief executives are wrong. For all his missteps and misdeeds over the years, Stewart has to get credit for keeping things stirred up. 

This time, Stewart ripped NASCAR for creating a safety hazard by not better regulating a rash of loose lugnuts on wheels during races. NASCAR didn’t take kindly to Stewart’s remarks and fined him $35,000 for disparaging the sport — a fine paid by Stewart’s peers, who backed his stance. 

So instead of feeding off the energy of Stewart’s return, NASCAR created another unnecessary controversy by fining Stewart.

MORE: Stewart plans to remain outspoken 

You would think that a CEO who supposedly champions free speech by endorsing the outspoken Trump would be a bit more tolerant toward free speech and constructive criticism in his own sport. Instead, NASCAR has a ridiculous policy of penalizing drivers who dare speak out and criticize the sanctioning body on controversial issues that need addressing. 

And it wonders why it has no colorful personalities to drive interest in the sport.

Yet, just when its credibility was taking another beating, NASCAR managed to save itself again with another thrilling finish Sunday. 

When Edwards ran down teammate Kyle Busch and bumped him out of the way to win Sunday’s race at Richmond, it produced another one of those dramatic, unforgettable moments that makes the sport great. 

Edwards’ aggressive move produced the kind of moment that has sports fans talking about NASCAR and will make NASCAR fans forget — at least for a while — about the ugliness and ill-advised moves that have generated headlines this season. 

Hopefully, NASCAR can continue producing those kinds of memorable moments on the track. 

Particularly if it keeps stepping in it off of it.