Should Huertas have had his win stripped?

It is just me, or should INDYCAR give us a bit more information about Huertas’ car and the infractions that were actually committed.

INDYCAR announced that Carlos Huertas and the Dale Coyne Racing team were being fined $10,000 and $5,000 respectively for having an illegal rear wing height, and illegal fuel capacity…

Well, in NASCAR if you are found to be tinkering with anything in the fuel system the bill will run you over $100,000. INDYCAR barely gave them a slap on the wrist.

INDYCAR states that the infractions did not have an impact on the final results of the race. But what other components on the car could have more of an impact in a rain-to-dry race, that ended with a fuel mileage question?

Carlos Huertas, Dale Coyne Racing Honda

Photo by: Chris Owens

Do not get me wrong, I absolutely love seeing a race car driver get their first win but I think as fans we deserve more than a three paragraph press release saying that the winner’s car was illegal…and that its infractions were on the rear wing and fuel tank, but somehow did not have an impact on the final results.

I am not an engineer, but I am also not an idiot. How much bigger was the tank? How much shorter was his wing? Why did these infractions not impact the final results of the race?

I guess all the photographs and videos from the race would be null and void if they stripped his win, but this shows me that not only can the great minds behind these race teams play ball in the grey areas of the rules, but they can win in the grey area too.

To me, INDYCAR just said, "Yep, you cheated...but it didn't make THAT much of a difference..."

I bet Juan Pablo Montoya is fuming at home right now… Maybe he can call the Waltrip team and see what sort of fuel tricks he can try at Pocono.