NASCAR places Edwards on three-race probation (cont'd)

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.

Helton said NASCAR felt parking Edwards, which it did solely based on wrecking the 12 at Atlanta, was the largest part of his penalty. After the race, Edwards met with officials in NASCAR's office trailer at the track.

Growing concern

Since Ryan Newman's flip at Talladega, cars going airborne are becoming more frequent.

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"I think first of all, I'll go back to the fact that we parked Carl as soon as the [Atlanta] incident occurred, for the balance of the event," Helton said. "You can look back at the incidents at Homestead [Denny Hamlin wrecking Keselowski, Tony Stewart wrecking Juan Montoya] where it was a one-lap penalty.

"So the immediate reaction [to Edwards' move] from NASCAR was parking the car for the balance of the event. That in its own can be a serious reaction from us, I think. The balance of it, I think, will still have to be sorted out among the drivers as to what their opinion or their interpretation of all of this is.

"But I do say there are two things here. It's a function of us wanting to do the right thing by the competitors on the race track from both sides. One, allow them to race; but the other side of it is to maintain law and order within a reasonable step."

Helton wouldn't speculate about how other NASCAR drivers might interpret the ruling.

"You'd have to ask the drivers what their opinions are after Sunday and seeing the 12 car get airborne in Atlanta," Helton said. "But in January, we were talking to the drivers directly and to the public about us backing away from the grip we might have on drivers and their driving style on the race track.

"Throughout our history, we've seen incidents on the track where they were obviously a simple racing accident, some that were obviously intentional [and] some that we couldn't tell the difference on and may not have been able to react to.

"But the clear message, I think, we sent in January was that we were willing to put more responsibility in the hands of the driver. But there is a line you can cross and we'll step in to maintain law and order when we think that line's crossed."

At Darlington Raceway, where three Sprint Cup and two Camping World Truck series drivers were participating in a Goodyear tire test Tuesday, 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 [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."

David Caraviello contributed to this report.

Related:
• NASCAR sends mixed message with decision
• Good guy Edwards makes bad situation worse
• History shows two drivers have a muddled past