Philadelphia, PA (Best E Casino) - Robby Gordon went well over the line on Saturday at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, and needs more of a punishment than a one-race suspension.
The driver of the No. 55 Camping World Ford made four mistakes in judgment, all within the last three laps of Saturday's NAPA Auto Parts 200 Busch Series race.
The first mistake was trying to pass race leader Marcos Ambrose after the caution flags had been displayed for a crash that happened just behind him. When Gordon continued to compete, Ambrose accidentally hit the back of Gordon's bumper and sent him into a spin.
Mistake number two took place when he refused to accept NASCAR's decision that he should restart in the 13th position. A driver may question his position, and Gordon may actually have had a point that NASCAR was starting him in the wrong position, but once a ruling is made he must get in the correct position. Gordon refused. He refused not once, but at least three times when NASCAR told him to move back in the field.
NASCAR erred in not stopping the race to force Gordon into the correct position, and that led to Gordon's third mistake.
Gordon, still mad at Ambrose for spinning in, intentionally ran into the back of the race leader knocking him off the track and out of contention for the win.
After the "racing incident," NASCAR black-flagged Gordon meaning he was supposed to immediately go to his pit box, and that his racing day was over.
Gordon refused this rule too - error number four - completing the remaining laps and even claiming victory. In a final and infantile act, Gordon did a celebratory burnout next to actual winner Kevin Harvick.
Now it is time for NASCAR to act and act in a big way. They immediately parked Gordon for the Cup race on Sunday, but that is not enough.
Gordon doesn't get it and hasn't his entire career. He has already been fined, penalized and put on probation, but nothing has changed his disrespect for other drivers and authority.
"They put me in a position to react the way I did with the call they made under caution," Gordon said.
The last statement translates to: "It's not my fault and I'll do it again if I want to in an effort to show up NASCAR and racing."
"We'll sit this weekend out, but we will come to Watkins Glen with a vengeance to win both races," Gordon posted on his website.
NASCAR should not let that happen. NASCAR needs to suspend Gordon from racing for a longer period of time - six weeks, maybe longer. That might get the message across that NASCAR runs the series, not Gordon.
The one-race suspension did not teach Gordon anything, and he is in need of a lesson.
The ball is in your court, NASCAR.