Rolex won by #58 whilst 12 lbs underweight!!!

[F1boat]

Different series have different rules. Take blocking, for example. If most series were to penalize blocking, that doesn't make it wrong for a series in which blocking is legal for blocking to not be penalized. Also, if most series penalizing blocking were to do so with immediate and severe penalties, that doesn't make it wrong for a series with lesser penalties for blocking to apply those lesser penalties. Grand-Am may be in the minority in not altering race results after the fact, instead opting to penalize in points and fines (i.e. removing only a portion instead of all of the rewards of the result)[1], but they followed their rules, those rules are theirs to make, and Brumos/Donohue/Rice/Garcia/Porsche/Riley were penalized in accordance to those rules.

Also, the 58 reportedly continued to spew fluids after the race but before tech as it sat idling with no air through the radiator. They may not have lost the entire gallon and a half or so they would have needed to make weight, but as oil and water are not drained before tech they were losing legal "ballast" after the race, were at least closer to, even if not above, minimum weight at the checkered flag, and "fluid loss" was not some thin fiction invented by the team.

[1.] In Koni last year fuel cell capacity violations were also penalized with point and monetary fines (more points but less money than the 58's penalty), not disqualification, without any reason for a grand conspiracy to gift a win or any plausible reason for the fuel cells increasing in capacity during or after the course of the race. It is in fact established precedent in Grand-Am to not retroactively alter the race results for post-race tech infractions.

I agree. I prefer the Grand Am's way, BTW.

[anthonyvop]

Different series have different rules. Take blocking, for example. If most series were to penalize blocking, that doesn't make it wrong for a series in which blocking is legal for blocking to not be penalized. Also, if most series penalizing blocking were to do so with immediate and severe penalties, that doesn't make it wrong for a series with lesser penalties for blocking to apply those lesser penalties. Grand-Am may be in the minority in not altering race results after the fact, instead opting to penalize in points and fines (i.e. removing only a portion instead of all of the rewards of the result)[1], but they followed their rules, those rules are theirs to make, and Brumos/Donohue/Rice/Garcia/Porsche/Riley were penalized in accordance to those rules.

Also, the 58 reportedly continued to spew fluids after the race but before tech as it sat idling with no air through the radiator. They may not have lost the entire gallon and a half or so they would have needed to make weight, but as oil and water are not drained before tech they were losing legal "ballast" after the race, were at least closer to, even if not above, minimum weight at the checkered flag, and "fluid loss" was not some thin fiction invented by the team.

[1.] In Koni last year fuel cell capacity violations were also penalized with point and monetary fines (more points but less money than the 58's penalty), not disqualification, without any reason for a grand conspiracy to gift a win or any plausible reason for the fuel cells increasing in capacity during or after the course of the race. It is in fact established precedent in Grand-Am to not retroactively alter the race results for post-race tech infractions.

That is why it is hard to take the series seriously.
Just about every major series would have disqualified them. Only The Grand-Am and it's owner, NASCAR gives a wink, nudge and a light tap on the wrist.

[ShiftingGears]

What a joke.

[Dr. Krogshöj]

If that was to happen in F1 it would be a disqualification.

And all the fans would start whining about how Max Mosley is ruining the sport by altering the results after the chequered flag.

[Oli_M]

And all the fans would start whining about how Max Mosley is ruining the sport by altering the results after the chequered flag.

I honestly do not believe there is a single real F1 fan out there who would whine if a car was found to be underweight and subsequently DQ'd. There was the case a few years ago when Honda cars were underweight - they were DQ'd and banned from (I think) the next 4 races (can't remember exact number) - the only criticism in this case was the supposedly 'sketchy' wording of the rule.

If this grand am incident and lack of punishment had happened in F1 there would be uproar from fans, teams, TV etc etc. But then, Grand am isn't F1, and obviously never will be.