In what NASCAR officials are calling "the most creative excuse since 'my spotter told me to'," a Cup Series driver blamed unusually fast wind for his pit road speeding penalty during Sunday's race at Atlanta.

The Incident

The driver was clocked at 60 mph in a 45 mph pit road zone — a full 15 mph over the limit. When asked about the infraction in the post-race media center, he delivered what can only be described as a masterclass in creative blame-shifting.

"Look, I had my speed right where it needed to be. But there was this wind — and I'm not talking regular wind, I'm talking really fast wind — that just pushed the car. What am I supposed to do, fight Mother Nature?"

NASCAR's Response

A NASCAR official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they couldn't stop laughing, said they would "take the wind theory under advisement."

The pit road speed limit remains unchanged, regardless of atmospheric conditions.

Expert Analysis

Local meteorologist Dale Gustsworth confirmed that wind speeds at Atlanta Motor Speedway were approximately 4 mph at the time of the incident, which he described as "barely enough to move a napkin."

The driver was fined $50,000 and docked 10 points, with or without wind assistance.