by Skip Wall
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- In the sports world, there are many times when fans are left asking when enough is enough. Whether it's a questionable call in football, baseball or basketball, sometimes fans are left asking what in the world happened about a call or action that doesn't go their way.

It's really no different in NASCAR circles where things happen so quickly questionable calls against drivers and teams happen on a seemingly regular basis. It doesn't matter whether it's the elite Sprint Cup Series or one of the developmental series' like what transpired last Saturday night in the Advance Auto Parts 199 at Bowman Gray Stadium for the Whelen Southern Modified Tour.

In a season that has somehow had it's fair share of controversy for on-track controversy so far, Whelen Southern Modified Tour officials stepped up to the plate at Bowman Gray to show that careless on or off-track altercations will no longer going to be accepted. Defending Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion L.W. Miller has been the center of a lot of controversial early-race incidents, starting with one earlier in the year when he was involved in a first lap wreck that eliminated several cars at ACE NC Speedway.

Miller made contact with the No. 17 car driven by Brian King last Saturday night at Bowman Gray in the first turn on the first lap, as a result Miller's No. 36 Modified landed with it's rear wheels left spinning while on King's hood. After loosing one lap, Miller would get the 'Lucky Dog' free pass to get back on the lead lap. Late in the going Miller made contact with Jonathan Brown which sent his car to rest.

Miller was informed by Whelen Southern Modified Tour officials that he was penalized with a pass-through (the pits) penalty and some sources say he went through at a high rate of speed. No sooner that Miller was penalized, Brown hit fellow driver Jay Mize under the caution in the first turn. NASCAR issued a two-race suspension for Jonathan Brown from NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour competition as well as a suspension from Bowman Gray Stadium's Weekly division.

Though it came as a surprise that the NASCAR officials did finally penalize the popular Miller, it still didn't bring justice to a couple of drivers, including King and Jason Myers after the race that was won by Brian Loftin.

Jason Myers was not at a loss of criticism for Miller following the event.

"First of all L.W. takes out one of the leaders Brian King and then he thinks he can just run all over the Jonathan Brown car and just get by with it" said an emotional Myers. "L.W. is going to kill somebody if they don't do something about it."

So what is Miller's take on all of the hoopla this season?

"Everybody knows how I am. Call it rough if you want but I race hard. I'm a hard racer,” Miller answered with a sheepish grin. "I have yet to make through the first lap for two straight years without a skirmish and it bit me again tonight."

"Brian King squeezed me down into the infield grass and that was my fault for letting him squeeze me down? Of course when I hit the grass it was on from there."

Some say that those types of driving styles are very common but it now appears that NASCAR officials are cracking down on both Tours.

Last weekend, James Civali, a popular Whelen Modified Tour competitor, was suspended for two races for his actions of hitting another car during a caution period at Riverhead Speedway.

Also later during the Advance Auto Parts 199, Jay Mize spun Brown. Brown retaliated and slammed into Mize during the caution, taking out both cars.

Brown was suspended for two races for his actions.

The actions taken by NASCAR may make an impression to all drivers in both series. In the meantime the fans love it or hate it depending on which driver they pull for. But what it does do is sell more tickets for the next event.

Jason Myers has a different take: "What it does do is hurt your wallet.We have too much invested in these cars to be out here banging on each other like this."

NASCAR has to be applauded for taking these actions. There are lives at stake and a lot of investment as well.

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