Tony Stewart will have Ricky Rudd stand by to relieve him at the Mason-Dixon 400 at Dover after injuring his shoulder in the World 600. And as one might have expected, that prospect has renewed discussion about allowing substitute drivers to earn points for primary drivers in races.
The idea is that Tony Stewart should be allowed to sit out Dover and have Ricky Rudd drive the entire race, but the points would go to Stewart. The argument is that this would allow an injured driver to heal up properly instead of trying to start a race. Points are awarded to the driver who starts the car, and the sport has periodically seen injured drivers run a lap or two and then pit to get out and let a relief driver take over.
Terry Labonte and Richard Petty in 1987 both saw consecutive start streaks all but end. Labonte was T-boned in a vicious melee at the Rebel 500 and in the next two short track races Brett Bodine ran for Labonte; Labonte ran one pace lap and then pitted to let Bodine into the car; under NASCAR rules at the time Labonte got the points by running the first pace lap. At Dover Petty broke two ribs and Joe Ruttman likewise relieved him for two races; by driving the pace lap Petty got the points.
NASCAR changed that rule a few years later, requiring drivers to run at least one lap to earn points.
The problem with substitute drivers is they would be earning points for someone who is not even trying to race. Substitute drivers are basically a mulligan for primary drivers, a cheap rule contrived for convenience. It typifies the absurd risk-adverse attitude frustratingly common to modern sports that anyone could take the idea of substitute drivers seriously. Under a substitute driver rule, the primary driver can skip races for basically any reason and still get points.
This is senseless. The points should always go to the driver who starts the car. The counterargument is that the present system "forces injured drivers to race." So what? It is how it is supposed to be.
The rule for injured drivers should be simple. Tony Stewart should be benched by NASCAR for two races to heal up. No one should mourn any dashed title hopes for Stewart because title hopes don't matter as much as race wins in any event. Injured drivers should be benched for a minimum of two races or until they heal enough to be able to run 500 miles without need of a relief driver.
Substitute drivers cheapen the sport and should never be a rule.
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