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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Roush Ready To Move On
Jack Roush said he wants to put the Carl Edwards-Brad Keselowski incident behind...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted March 10, 2010   Charlotte, NC
Jack Roush (Left) issued a statement concerning NASCAR's action following the crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway involving Carl Edwards (Right) and Brad Keselowski. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

After nearly three full days of silence, Roush Fenway Racing co-owner Jack Roush issued a statement about the Sunday's crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway between RFR driver Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski.

Edwards on Tuesday was given a three-race suspension by NASCAR after his No. 99 RFR Ford deliberately struck the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge of Keselowski in the closing laps of the Kobalt Tools 500.

The contact, which occurred near the start-finish line, turned Keselowski's Dodge upside down in a terrifying roll. After the race, Edwards said the contact was a payback for early race contact between the two that resulted in Edwards hitting the wall.

NASCAR subsequently met with cars owners Roush and Penske and the two drivers before issuing the penalty on Tuesday. The teams both issued statements saying they were ready to move beyond the crash.

“We are satisfied that NASCAR fairly considered all the circumstances in its decision to discipline Carl (Edwards),” team co-owner Roush said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon. “We look forward to meeting with NASCAR, Roger (Penske) and Brad (Keselowski) in Bristol next weekend and it is our hope to put this behind us at that time. Missed in all of this was a really strong performance by Roush Fenway - and the Ford teams in general - at Atlanta last weekend and we are eager to continue to build on that moving forward.”

Not everyone was so forgiving.

“Since I was 16 year old, that situation has happened … I've never seen anybody get hurt. Maybe a fight afterwards, but I've never seen anybody get hurt,” said Richard Childress Racing's Clint Bowyer. I've never seen a situation where it could've hurt somebody. I saw a situation where it could have hurt somebody.”

Bowyer, who is fifth in the Sprint Cup points standings acknowledged that paybacks and retaliation are a valid part of hard racing, but what Edwards did crossed the line.

“There's a point where it's too far and that was too far,” said Bowyer. “Period. … There's no more talking about it. It's as simple as that. There's a line drawn. There wasn't anybody who saw that — you, me, anybody — everybody knew that was too far.”

And, Bowyer added, it was uncalled for. “Every action has consequences. … It was very scary and it could have killed someone and it was very stupid.”

“Those kinds of things don't need to happen at mile-and-a-half and 2-mile racetracks,” added Jeff Burton, Bowyer's teammate. “Drivers need to handle it off the racetrack. … Sunday was scary. If you look at that car, it could have been a lot worse than it was.”

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