NASCAR chooses not to suspend Carl Edwards after wreck with Brad Keselowski in Atlanta

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NASCAR on Tuesday put Carl Edwards on probation but did not suspend the Sprint Cup Series driver for an apparent payback that sent the car of rival Brad Keselowski airborne at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Ford, was put on probation for the next three races after he appeared to intentionally make contact with Keselowski’s No. 12 Dodge late in the race, which sent Keselowski’s car flying into the air. The car bounced on its hood but landed on its wheels, and Keselowski was not injured.

NASCAR immediately parked Edwards. They then ‘made it very clear to him that these actions were not acceptable,’ NASCAR President Mike Helton told reporters during a teleconference Tuesday, adding, ‘We believe the driver of the 99 understands our position.’

Edwards appeared to be retaliating for contact with Keselowski earlier in the race, which sent Edwards’ car to the pits for lengthy repairs. The two also were involved in a wreck last year at Talladega; Edwards’ car went airborne that time and crashed into the grandstand fence.

The latest incident came after NASCAR statement in January that it would loosen rules governing driver actions to promote more exciting racing.

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, said the purpose was to put racing ‘back in the hands of the drivers, and we will say, ‘Boys, have at it.’ ‘

But Helton said Wednesday that Edwards’ latest action ‘went beyond’ that purpose and that ‘there is a line you can cross, and we’ll step in to maintain law and order when we think that line is crossed.’

Helton also said Keselowski’s car going airborne ‘to us is a much more serious topic’ than the drivers’ rivalry because a car flying into the air on a 1.5-mile track is something ‘which we typically don’t see.’ He said NASCAR technicians were studying the crash to find ways to keep the cars on the racetrack.

Keselowski said minutes after the incident that it would be ‘interesting to see how NASCAR reacts’ and that ‘if they’re going to allow people to intentionally wreck each other at tracks this fast, we will hurt someone either in the cars or in the grandstands.’

Edwards then said he didn’t want to see Keselowski’s car fly into the air but otherwise showed little remorse.

‘Brad knows the deal between him and I,’ Edwards said. ‘The scary part was that his car went airborne, which was not at all what I expected. At the end of the day, we’re out here to race, and people have to have respect for one another, and I have a lot of respect for people’s safety.’

-- Jim Peltz