#2-Brad Keselowski has been fined by NASCAR for criticizing electronic fuel injection. Multiple people familiar with the punishment told AP on Thursday about Keselowski’s fine. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because NASCAR did not publicize the fine. NASCAR has been privately punishing drivers for making disparaging remarks about the series over the last two years. The fine is believed to be $25,000 (Associated Press)(11-17-2011)
UPDATE: [NASCAR CEO Brian] France was asked often by the media about the secret fines. “When you cross a line that denigrates the direction of the sport or the quality of racing, we’re not going to accept that, not going to accept that,” France said. “Happy to have any other criticism, any other complaint, happy to hear them all but if I own a restaurant and I say, “You know what? The food in my restaurant is not very good.’ We’re not going to accept that. It’s as simple as that.” Asked why not reveal the fines, France said: “What would be the benefit? The drivers know exactly what we’re after. We have these annual meetings with them, right? And then we semi-annual meetings with them and we meet them every weekend at the track. So they know exactly what we expect out of them and when they don’t handle that, the only way we can control that is, obviously, a fining system. Look, don’t panic over this. We’ll look at it over the offseason. If we need to change it, we’ll change it. Not a big deal.”(Virginian Pilot and USA Today)(11-18-2011)
