Danica Patrick says NASCAR fining drivers serves no purpose

When Danica Patrick saw NASCAR elected not to fine Austin Dillon for hitting Cole Custer’s car under caution during last weekend’s Xfinity Series race, one thought immediately popped into her mind: She wanted a refund.

“Give me my money back,” Patrick said Friday at Auto Club Speedway.

Patrick was fined $50,000 and docked 25 points for hitting David Gilliland’s car under a caution period in a 2015 Monster Energy Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. She was also fined $20,000 after walking onto a hot track to gesture at Kasey Kahne during a race last season.

In both instances, Patrick said she didn’t do anything to warrant a penalty. And she believes Dillon didn’t do anything deserving of a penalty and was happy to see him escape with merely a warning. Dillon rammed Custer into the outside wall after contact between them resulted in Dillon crashing during Saturday’s Xfinity race at Phoenix International Raceway. To retaliate, Dillon slowed on the track and waited for Custer to circle.

“I think NASCAR makes a really big mistake of fining for some stuff, especially something that happens in the car because it makes for good TV -- just like fights and all that stuff,” Patrick said. “I think that it makes for good TV and I think that we handle it out on the track ourselves.

“What does [a fine] really do? I’m not gonna not go on vacation.”

Patrick’s point of contention isn’t just with NASCAR’s inconsistency regarding when to issue penalties. She is also skeptical about what NASCAR does with the money collected.

(Money collected by NASCAR via fines goes to support various charitable initiatives.)

“I would actually love to see like the playground that got built for it, or homeless people that got food,” Patrick said. “I would like to see actually what the money does for fines because it’s supposed to go to charity, right? So what does it really do? I would like to see that.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. differs with Patrick that Dillon should’ve escaped punishment. NASCAR’s 14-time most popular driver thinks Dillon set a bad example, a behavioral standard young racers will see and then replicate themselves.

“What message do you send to all these guys that are racing at all the local tracks around the country?” Earnhardt said. “Are you sending the message that it is okay for them to drive into each other’s door after the race is over with? That is all I worry about.

“I know Austin knows right from wrong. It’s not about trying to teach him a lesson. It’s really what are we trying to tell all the other drivers.”

If Earnhardt had his way, Dillon would’ve been handed a monetary punishment in addition to also doing a mandatory promotional appearance for upcoming races. Under Earnhardt’s plan, drivers would be sanctioned, though not in a heavy-handed manner.

“We complain about it to NASCAR all the time, having to go to these tracks out of market and do these appearances,” Earnhardt said. “Now, when we go do them we do have fun, but drivers are spoiled and we don’t like to do that stuff, so I would sign him up for an out-of-market appearance to promote the next Phoenix race in the fall.”

But Earnhardt does agree with Patrick that he would like to see more consistency in how NASCAR doles out penalties. To clarify why some drivers are disciplined and some are not for actions he views similar, Earnhardt spoke with NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell, who said every incident is viewed on a case-to-case basis.

“I agree with NASCAR that you have to handle things differently,” Earnhardt said. “(O’Donnell) explained to me like in other sports there are flagrant fouls and there are intentional fouls and then there are little five-yard penalties and 15-yard penalties, there is holding and facemask calls.

“I understand the variance and there needing to be a different degree of punishment for sure, and it’s up to NASCAR to have the understanding to know how to manage those punishments and how to judge what needs to be done in those situations.”