A quick scan of what’s being written provides two viewpoints. David Poole of the Charlotte Observer believes that Gibbs should be lauded for taking responsibility for the cheating; over at Yahoo, Bob Margolis thinks that the shenanigans went way higher up chain of command than we’re led to believe.

Take those two for what they’re worth. But what stuck out to me was the comments at the end of Margolis’ story, with Ford owner Jack Roush and someone from the GM camp taking the opportunity to kick Toyota while it’s down.

Coming from Roush, it’s no surprise. He’s had a back-and-forth with Toyota ever since the manufacturer declared its intention to enter the Cup series.

GM’s Pat Suhy, who heads the racing group division for NASCAR, goes further than Margolis did; Suhy was quoted as saying that the tentacles of the cheating reach all the way to Toyota itself. (Toyota has distanced itself from the situation, claiming it was merely a Gibbs problem.)

Controversy always makes things interesting, of course. And for me, this is even better than two drivers getting out of a car and taking a swipe at each other.

Because of the importance of sponsors, there is a fair amount of sanitization in NASCAR. No one wants to create a tidal wave of negative publicity, lest it affect the sponsors that foot the bills.

So when you have people in the upper echelons of the sport taking jabs at each other, it’s worth watching — particularly when it goes beyond a running grudge, like Roush has with Toyota.

That’s not to say he’s wrong; he’s exactly right in what he says in Margolis’ story. It’s just that it’s more enjoyable to watch others jump in the fray, especially those who would seem to be Roush’s most hated rival (General Motors). Ford vs. Chevy is a battle of American icons.

More and more, it seems to be Toyota that is the real villain in NASCAR — though it’s worth pointing out that no one much cared about Toyota last season.

But there’s a reason that the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees are despised by a fair amount of the population.

(Photo by Bob Brodbeck/Associated Press)