KENTUCKY (1/16/13) - Ok so I’m a lap down this week, finishing the race a day late with this week’s Loud Pedal report but we wanted to gain a little fan feedback to see where this country stands on cheating.

Just last week we mentioned cheating in racing when it comes to the weight of a race car. But we didn’t think we would be discussing the cheating two weeks in a row in our little racing corner of the world.

All the details haven’t been told yet, but the hot topic in addition to guns in the social media has been Lance Armstrong’s doping admission.

I was very curious what the fan reaction would be. Ya, Ya I know it’s a different form of racing and has nothing to do with circle track stock car racing. Well at some level, racing is racing and sports is sports.

I’ve always been supportive of race teams working in what has become the gray area of the rules book. It’s good. If it’s not spelled out in the rules or breaks the spirit of a certain rule- then go for it! Until it’s a rule. That’s my philosophy.

But what has always bothered me is when it’s clearly a rule and you break that rule. And when you break that rule there is no other word for it other than CHEATER.

Don’t get mad at me or any fan who then calls you a cheater. That’s what mostly happens. Very seldom to you see someone own up to their cheating. They find excuses and lies to justify their actions. Apparently case in point Lance Armstrong.

Over the last few stock car racing season’s the similar situation we’ve been dealing with is in the Late Model divisions and tires. Rule books have been wrote to include no tire soaking, no tire alterations or some similar wording depending on each track or series’ stand on tires.

It’s a black and white area. Drivers like Earl Pearson Jr., Chris Madden, Scott Bloomquist and numerous others have been found guilty in testing of breaking the rule. They are cheaters.

There is no gray area.

And if they become upset at being labeled a cheater, then that was part of their conscious thought before they decided to enter a race with equipment that wasn’t legal. Lance Armstrong it is said to have argued to his teammates that everyone else was cheating, so they all had to cheat to be competitive. I hear that every week in stock car racing.

The focus then if that is the case be it on the track or series to enforce their rules. But don’t be upset if the rules get enforced on you as a starting point. You took the risk. Live with it.

Lance Armstrong to date hasn’t lived with it. And that circles around to what we wanted to say with this week’s column. Own it.

That’s my opinion and seems to be the social media feedback so far on the Armstrong deal. If he had owned it from the beginning of the process, then his reputation could have been explained as a competitive nature. But when you lie about the lie… you are a liar. And that’s a lot worse than a cheater.

Richard Cunningham is a Madisonville born, Western Kentucky University graduate with some 25 years in the Stock Car Racing PR business. A noted motorsports journalist he publishes several websites including www.KYRacing.com focused on Kentucky motorsports. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 
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