By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
Edwards has been placed on probation for the next three Sprint Cup races as a result of Edwards intentionally wrecking Brad Keselowski this past Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Helton said the decision came "after meeting and discussing the events Sunday evening, all day Monday and [Tuesday] morning." Helton added that an additional meeting "that was still being set" would be arranged between NASCAR officials, team owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske and the two drivers.
"We feel that will come before the Saturday or Sunday of the Bristol weekend," Helton said.
Helton said the fact that Keselowski's car went airborne at a 1.5-mile track was a bigger issue than Edwards' action.
At Darlington Raceway on Tuesday, where three Sprint Cup and two Camping World Truck series drivers were participating in a Goodyear tire test, Elliott Sadler said NASCAR's decision to only place Edwards on probation was consistent with the approach the sanctioning body took entering the season, which was to allow competitors more room to police themselves.
"You have to say this, NASCAR has struck to their guns to let the drivers talk it out and work it out," Sadler said. "The message I kind of got out of [Tuesday] was, if you get yourself in this kind of a bind, yes, we're going to intervene a little bit, but we're going to let you and the other driver and owner talk about it, because it's their race cars, and it's you driving the race car. That's the message [Helton] sent [Tuesday], and kind of what he said at the beginning of the year, too, that they were kind of going to put it back in our hands. He's staying true to that point."
Sadler, whose Richard Petty Motorsports team uses engines and chassis from Edwards' Roush Fenway Racing organization, added that he didn't think a suspension was deserved.
"I guess they're trying to intervene a little bit, but trying to stay out of it," he said. "I didn't think any suspension or anything like that was definitely going to happen, or was worthy of happening. They're going to leave it [in the drivers'] hands, and we'll see where it goes from there."
Clint Bowyer said it wasn't his place to suggest whether a suspension was merited or not. But he clearly didn't approve of Edwards' actions. "There's a too far in everything," he said, "and that was too far. Bottom line, simple as that."
Helton's participation in a national teleconference was quickly scheduled and announced less than 90 minutes in advance in the aftermath of the vicious accident in the late stages of Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500.
With two laps remaining of the scheduled 325-lap event on the high-speed 1.5-mile track -- where two days before Dale Earnhardt Jr. had clocked the fastest qualifying lap ever recorded by NASCAR's new car, 192.761 mph -- Keselowski's Dodge flipped into the frontstretch fence following contact from Edwards' Ford.
FOX Sports' TV replays showed Edwards' white-gloved hands turning his steering wheel to the right, into the back of Keselowski's car, which caused it to spin backwards. The car then lifted into the air and turned over, striking the top of the fence, upside-down with the driver's-side corner of the windshield "A-post." (watch video)
NASCAR immediately parked Edwards, who had made another lap of the race track after the contact. Upon getting the word on his in-car radio, Edwards drove the wrong way up pit road to turn into the Sprint Cup garage area to park at his hauler.
“
There's a too far in everything, and that was too far. Bottom line, simple as that.
”
-- CLINT BOWYER
Keselowski was helped from his car and walked to an ambulance. After being examined in the track's infield care center, Keselowski emerged and promised that actions such as Edwards' would result in injuries to either another driver or to fans.
"To come back and intentionally wreck someone, that's not cool -- you could have killed someone in the grandstands," Keselowski said. "It will be interesting to see how NASCAR reacts to it. They have the ball. 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.
"It's not cool to wreck someone intentionally at 195 mph."
After getting out of his car at the track, Edwards didn't deny spinning Keselowski but said flipping the younger driver's car wasn't his intent. Later Sunday evening, in an entry on his Facebook page, Edwards said "his code" dictated that he take action immediately.
Earlier in the race, Edwards and Keselowski's cars made contact when Edwards attempted to move his Roush Fenway Racing Ford from an upper lane to a lower lane already occupied by Keselowski's Penske Racing Dodge.
The contact caused Edwards' car to skitter up the track, where it hit Joey Logano's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, causing both Edwards' and Logano's cars to hit the wall. Edwards spent more than 150 laps in the garage while his crew made repairs.
Edwards came back on the track in 41st and could have made up three positions -- and nine championship points -- by running to the end of the race. When he was parked, Edwards ended up 39th and lost the chance to overtake Joe Nemechek, who was already out of the race.
Edwards has been placed on probation for the next three Sprint Cup races as a result of Edwards intentionally wrecking Brad Keselowski this past Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Helton said the decision came "after meeting and discussing the events Sunday evening, all day Monday and [Tuesday] morning." Helton added that an additional meeting "that was still being set" would be arranged between NASCAR officials, team owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske and the two drivers.
"We feel that will come before the Saturday or Sunday of the Bristol weekend," Helton said.
Helton said the fact that Keselowski's car went airborne at a 1.5-mile track was a bigger issue than Edwards' action.
At Darlington Raceway on Tuesday, where three Sprint Cup and two Camping World Truck series drivers were participating in a Goodyear tire test, Elliott Sadler said NASCAR's decision to only place Edwards on probation was consistent with the approach the sanctioning body took entering the season, which was to allow competitors more room to police themselves.
"You have to say this, NASCAR has struck to their guns to let the drivers talk it out and work it out," Sadler said. "The message I kind of got out of [Tuesday] was, if you get yourself in this kind of a bind, yes, we're going to intervene a little bit, but we're going to let you and the other driver and owner talk about it, because it's their race cars, and it's you driving the race car. That's the message [Helton] sent [Tuesday], and kind of what he said at the beginning of the year, too, that they were kind of going to put it back in our hands. He's staying true to that point."
Sadler, whose Richard Petty Motorsports team uses engines and chassis from Edwards' Roush Fenway Racing organization, added that he didn't think a suspension was deserved.
"I guess they're trying to intervene a little bit, but trying to stay out of it," he said. "I didn't think any suspension or anything like that was definitely going to happen, or was worthy of happening. They're going to leave it [in the drivers'] hands, and we'll see where it goes from there."
Clint Bowyer said it wasn't his place to suggest whether a suspension was merited or not. But he clearly didn't approve of Edwards' actions. "There's a too far in everything," he said, "and that was too far. Bottom line, simple as that."
Helton's participation in a national teleconference was quickly scheduled and announced less than 90 minutes in advance in the aftermath of the vicious accident in the late stages of Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500.
With two laps remaining of the scheduled 325-lap event on the high-speed 1.5-mile track -- where two days before Dale Earnhardt Jr. had clocked the fastest qualifying lap ever recorded by NASCAR's new car, 192.761 mph -- Keselowski's Dodge flipped into the frontstretch fence following contact from Edwards' Ford.
FOX Sports' TV replays showed Edwards' white-gloved hands turning his steering wheel to the right, into the back of Keselowski's car, which caused it to spin backwards. The car then lifted into the air and turned over, striking the top of the fence, upside-down with the driver's-side corner of the windshield "A-post." (watch video)
NASCAR immediately parked Edwards, who had made another lap of the race track after the contact. Upon getting the word on his in-car radio, Edwards drove the wrong way up pit road to turn into the Sprint Cup garage area to park at his hauler.
“
There's a too far in everything, and that was too far. Bottom line, simple as that.
”
-- CLINT BOWYER
Keselowski was helped from his car and walked to an ambulance. After being examined in the track's infield care center, Keselowski emerged and promised that actions such as Edwards' would result in injuries to either another driver or to fans.
"To come back and intentionally wreck someone, that's not cool -- you could have killed someone in the grandstands," Keselowski said. "It will be interesting to see how NASCAR reacts to it. They have the ball. 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.
"It's not cool to wreck someone intentionally at 195 mph."
After getting out of his car at the track, Edwards didn't deny spinning Keselowski but said flipping the younger driver's car wasn't his intent. Later Sunday evening, in an entry on his Facebook page, Edwards said "his code" dictated that he take action immediately.
Earlier in the race, Edwards and Keselowski's cars made contact when Edwards attempted to move his Roush Fenway Racing Ford from an upper lane to a lower lane already occupied by Keselowski's Penske Racing Dodge.
The contact caused Edwards' car to skitter up the track, where it hit Joey Logano's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, causing both Edwards' and Logano's cars to hit the wall. Edwards spent more than 150 laps in the garage while his crew made repairs.
Edwards came back on the track in 41st and could have made up three positions -- and nine championship points -- by running to the end of the race. When he was parked, Edwards ended up 39th and lost the chance to overtake Joe Nemechek, who was already out of the race.