The main reason Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team had no issues with inspection on Friday at Talladega Superspeedway, and more specifically the C-Post areas of the car, is because the team brought a completely new car to the track this week.
The car which raised the ire of NASCAR inspectors at Daytona had been run by Johnson in five consecutive superspeedway races, including the 500. The team received stiff penalties by NASCAR for unapproved changes to the C-Post areas, the area of the car from the roof to the top of the rear quarter-panel.
On appeal, most of the penalties were rescinded except for a $100,000 fine to crew chief Chad Knaus and probation for Knaus and car chief Ron Malec.
Johnson's team maintained they did nothing wrong. NASCAR President Mike Helton said he expected his inspectors would confiscate the C-Posts again if the same thing showed up at Talladega.
Instead, the No. 48 team decided to bring a whole new car.
The Daytona 500 car wasn't worth saving as a backup, either. This week's backup chassis for the No. 48 team is No. 482. The car which Johnson used in the previous five plate races was chassis No. 628.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Humpy Wheeler: I will not see history be rewritten
The following statement was released by former Charlotte Motor Speedway president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler:
The release sent out by Charlotte Motor Speedway suggesting that the lights at the track were Bruton Smith's idea is not true.
I will not stand by and see history be rewritten.
These are the facts: I went with then sales manager Jim Duncan to Winston Salem in 1991 to visit RJ Reynolds Sports Marketing Dept. The meeting was with RJR director of sports T. Wayne Robertson to make a presentation for the 1992 Winston All Star Race. Our contract was always for one year. We yearly made a presentation to them to get the event back.
I was really worried that year because Richmond and my friend and its promoter Paul Sawyer really wanted the event. So, we made our presentation and presented them with five promotional ideas. Wayne and his group didn't like any of them and I thought we were going to lose the race.
Right before the meeting ended I said: "Ok, I have another idea...let's run it on Saturday night." Wayne looked at me like I was crazy and so did my associate Jim Duncan.
No one had ever run a superspeedway race at night. Wayne thought it was a great idea and said "if you can do it and NASCAR approves then let's do it."
When I got out into the parking garage Jim Duncan said "are you crazy? When did that idea come up?"
I told him it just came out of my head. We got back to Charlotte and at some point I told Bruton Smith that was what I wanted to do. He said OK.
After I contacted several lighting companies and got nowhere we went ahead with the announcement. It shocked everybody. Bill France Jr., called and ask me if I had lost my mind. He and I liked each other but often differed on the direction the sport was going. I told him it was going to happen and knew NASCAR would cooperate.
I will admit that things got edgy because a lot of people in the sport were against it citing danger as their reason. What made this tough was I didn't want high poles in the infield. Finally I invited MUSCO, a lighting company from Iowa, down to meet with us. Musco president Joe Crookham and chairman Myron Gordon came. Bruton was not even in the meeting. Gordon said if he could take the Petty Driving School he could figure it out.
He did and then they went to work on this and came up with the most ingenious lighting system in sports history. To light from the infield they had short poles that reflected lights into a series of mirrors that shot the light back to the track on a diagonal. The rest is history. The test with NASCAR was passed in April and we had the race in May which was a great success and won by Davey Allison.
I am proud of my idea. Bruton and I did a lot of great things together. I think we helped to change NASCAR in some way. A lot of the things we did at Charlotte were mutual ideas. The lights were not one of them.
Click here to read the news release to which Wheeler refers.
The release sent out by Charlotte Motor Speedway suggesting that the lights at the track were Bruton Smith's idea is not true.
I will not stand by and see history be rewritten.
These are the facts: I went with then sales manager Jim Duncan to Winston Salem in 1991 to visit RJ Reynolds Sports Marketing Dept. The meeting was with RJR director of sports T. Wayne Robertson to make a presentation for the 1992 Winston All Star Race. Our contract was always for one year. We yearly made a presentation to them to get the event back.
I was really worried that year because Richmond and my friend and its promoter Paul Sawyer really wanted the event. So, we made our presentation and presented them with five promotional ideas. Wayne and his group didn't like any of them and I thought we were going to lose the race.
Right before the meeting ended I said: "Ok, I have another idea...let's run it on Saturday night." Wayne looked at me like I was crazy and so did my associate Jim Duncan.
No one had ever run a superspeedway race at night. Wayne thought it was a great idea and said "if you can do it and NASCAR approves then let's do it."
When I got out into the parking garage Jim Duncan said "are you crazy? When did that idea come up?"
I told him it just came out of my head. We got back to Charlotte and at some point I told Bruton Smith that was what I wanted to do. He said OK.
After I contacted several lighting companies and got nowhere we went ahead with the announcement. It shocked everybody. Bill France Jr., called and ask me if I had lost my mind. He and I liked each other but often differed on the direction the sport was going. I told him it was going to happen and knew NASCAR would cooperate.
I will admit that things got edgy because a lot of people in the sport were against it citing danger as their reason. What made this tough was I didn't want high poles in the infield. Finally I invited MUSCO, a lighting company from Iowa, down to meet with us. Musco president Joe Crookham and chairman Myron Gordon came. Bruton was not even in the meeting. Gordon said if he could take the Petty Driving School he could figure it out.
He did and then they went to work on this and came up with the most ingenious lighting system in sports history. To light from the infield they had short poles that reflected lights into a series of mirrors that shot the light back to the track on a diagonal. The rest is history. The test with NASCAR was passed in April and we had the race in May which was a great success and won by Davey Allison.
I am proud of my idea. Bruton and I did a lot of great things together. I think we helped to change NASCAR in some way. A lot of the things we did at Charlotte were mutual ideas. The lights were not one of them.
Click here to read the news release to which Wheeler refers.
Chasing the usual NASCAR suspects
More and more, the 2012 season - at least when it comes to who will compete in the Chase for the Sprint Cup - is looking a lot like last year.
Eight of the current top 10 in series points following last weekend’s Richmond race made the Chase last season. A year ago, nine of the top 10 following the season’s ninth race made the Chase.
The only newcomers, with 17 races remaining until the post-season cut-off, is points leader Greg Biffle and Martin Truex Jr., who is second in the current standings.
Drivers highest ranked for a 'wild card' berth – which goes to drivers with the most wins ranked 11th to 20th in points - are Richmond winner Kyle Busch (11th) and Brad Keselowski (13th). Both also made last year's Chase.
Busch and Clint Bowyer trail 10th place Ryan Newman by 13 and 14 points, respectively. Keselowski is 26 points out of 10th.
Eight of the current top 10 in series points following last weekend’s Richmond race made the Chase last season. A year ago, nine of the top 10 following the season’s ninth race made the Chase.
The only newcomers, with 17 races remaining until the post-season cut-off, is points leader Greg Biffle and Martin Truex Jr., who is second in the current standings.
Drivers highest ranked for a 'wild card' berth – which goes to drivers with the most wins ranked 11th to 20th in points - are Richmond winner Kyle Busch (11th) and Brad Keselowski (13th). Both also made last year's Chase.
Busch and Clint Bowyer trail 10th place Ryan Newman by 13 and 14 points, respectively. Keselowski is 26 points out of 10th.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Mike Ford joins Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 team
Mike Ford, who won 17 races and made the Chase for the Sprint Cup six times with driver Denny Hamlin, has joined Richard Petty Motorsports and will becomes crew chief for driver Aric Almirola.
The 42-year-old Morristown, Tenn., native spent the past six seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing as Hamlin’s crew chief. He and Hamlin earned 17 wins, 66 top-five finishes and 108 top-10 finishes. Ford has also worked at Robert Yates Racing and Evernham Motorsports.
Ford replaces Greg Erwin. Erwin and Almirola have one top-10 finish in the first nine races of the 2012 season.
The 42-year-old Morristown, Tenn., native spent the past six seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing as Hamlin’s crew chief. He and Hamlin earned 17 wins, 66 top-five finishes and 108 top-10 finishes. Ford has also worked at Robert Yates Racing and Evernham Motorsports.
“Mike Ford is an
elite crew chief who knows what it takes to be a winner at this level,” said
team owner Richard Petty. “We’re fortunate that he was available and that we
could reach a deal to bring him over to our place. We’ve taken a lot of big
steps at Richard Petty Motorsports in the past year and I think this might be
that one piece of the puzzle we were missing.”
“Everyone in the garage respects him
and knows what he’s capable of," Almirola said of Ford. "It’s a goal of the No. 43 team to make the Chase
this year and I think Mike’s experience and knowledge can help get us there.
We’ve got some ground to make up but I think we can do
it.”
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Hard to believe, but Carl Edwards issue actually quite simple
As
confusing as the issue surrounding Carl Edwards getting black-flagged
late in Saturday night's race at Richmond may sound, it's actually very simple.
When the caution came out on Lap 312, Edwards was the only car not to have made a green-flag pit stop. Thus, there were only three cars on the lead lap at that time - Edwards, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson who had just completed his pit stop on pit road.
Edwards then pit. There is no way you can be the only car to pit and still be the race leader. Regardless of who told who what, what Fox's TV graphic said, or what the scoring pylon showed, Edwards should have known the moment he went down pit road he was no longer the race leader.
It really is just as simple as that.
When the caution came out on Lap 312, Edwards was the only car not to have made a green-flag pit stop. Thus, there were only three cars on the lead lap at that time - Edwards, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson who had just completed his pit stop on pit road.
Edwards then pit. There is no way you can be the only car to pit and still be the race leader. Regardless of who told who what, what Fox's TV graphic said, or what the scoring pylon showed, Edwards should have known the moment he went down pit road he was no longer the race leader.
It really is just as simple as that.
Friday, April 27, 2012
RCR and Turner Nationwide teams in trouble with NASCAR
The NASCAR Nationwide teams of Richard Childress Racing and Turner Motorsports
altered the contoured areas surrounding the wheel hubs of their nose pieces,
which are provided by manufacturers.
Balash said he wasn't sure why the changes were limited to one manufacturer.
"Sometimes there are different trends in the garage. Sometimes they cross manufacturers and sometimes they don't," Balash said.
Balash said NASCAR's concern with the teams is altering a piece of the car which has to be run "as-is."
All three RCR teams and all three
Turner teams had the upper front bumper covers of their cars confiscated by
NASCAR during opening inspection on Thursday at Richmond International Raceway.
Any penalties will be announced next
week for the cars driven by Elliott
Sadler, Austin Dillon and Kevin Harvick with RCR and James Buescher, Justin
Allgaier and Kasey Kahne with Turner.
The nose pieces, or upper front bumper covers,
are designed by manufacturers and approved by NASCAR. The Nationwide Series
rulebook states "cutting and reshaping of bumper covers will not be
permitted."
Series director Joe Balash said the RCR teams had
changes made on both sides of the nose piece, while the Turner teams were
altered on just one side.
Balash said he wasn't sure why the changes were limited to one manufacturer.
"Sometimes there are different trends in the garage. Sometimes they cross manufacturers and sometimes they don't," Balash said.
Balash said NASCAR's concern with the teams is altering a piece of the car which has to be run "as-is."
A visual inspection of one of the Turner team's
nose pieces showed a complete absence of the contoured area around the left
wheel hub, compared to a generic manufacturer
piece.
The rulebook
allows NASCAR
officials the ability to use bumper covers provided by manufacturers as a guide
in determining whether a competitor's bumper cover conforms to specifications.
Sadler contended NASCAR officials confiscated the
pieces through a visual inspection, not by measuring by templates. The rulebook,
however, allows for such a determination.
Sadler, currently the series points leader, has
potentially the most to lose with a sizable NASCAR penalty.
"It's the same car I've run already twice this year and passed post-race tech since we won both races," Sadler said. "We don't really know what is going to happen."
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Bristol not "going to be much different," Hamlin says
Denny Hamlin was among the drivers who thought something should be changed at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, but what track owner Bruton Smith has chosen to do doesn't provide Hamlin much confidence the racing will change.
A loud contingent of fans have complained changes made to Bristol in 2007 have reduced the bump-and-run style of passing, which was typical of most Bristol races.
Smith announced earlier this week he was going to grind the track to remove the top racing groove and eliminate the progressive banking. Hamlin has advocated paving the now concrete track or at least having Goodyear bring a softer tire which wears more.
"I don't know how a whole lot about it, because I wasn't in construction but for a little bit of time when I was younger, but there's rebar in there, so you can't grind but so much, so I don't know -- I don't think it's going to be much different to be honest with you," Hamlin said. "What we had -- if anything maybe the grinding will cause for grip and people are going to run up high anyways, so who knows what's going to happen. You want to fix it and make it a tough track? You need to pave it.
"Concrete is not the answer as far as that is concerned. They're in a box. They have to -- they're trying to do everything they can. I understand that, because the fans want a change. You commend them for trying, but I think that they're time limited on what
adjustments they can really make to that track. As far as repavings, none of us drivers like to see it.
"I talked with a couple guys who ran the Pocono test and they weren't overly excited about it after running it, so it's one of those things -- the tracks have to do it or we're going to have a four-hour delay in the middle of it because we have a pothole in the middle of the
track. It's just a tough box that our cars are running so fast that they have to limit our speed with the tires, so that's what makes it tough to race on."
A loud contingent of fans have complained changes made to Bristol in 2007 have reduced the bump-and-run style of passing, which was typical of most Bristol races.
Smith announced earlier this week he was going to grind the track to remove the top racing groove and eliminate the progressive banking. Hamlin has advocated paving the now concrete track or at least having Goodyear bring a softer tire which wears more.
"I don't know how a whole lot about it, because I wasn't in construction but for a little bit of time when I was younger, but there's rebar in there, so you can't grind but so much, so I don't know -- I don't think it's going to be much different to be honest with you," Hamlin said. "What we had -- if anything maybe the grinding will cause for grip and people are going to run up high anyways, so who knows what's going to happen. You want to fix it and make it a tough track? You need to pave it.
"Concrete is not the answer as far as that is concerned. They're in a box. They have to -- they're trying to do everything they can. I understand that, because the fans want a change. You commend them for trying, but I think that they're time limited on what
adjustments they can really make to that track. As far as repavings, none of us drivers like to see it.
"I talked with a couple guys who ran the Pocono test and they weren't overly excited about it after running it, so it's one of those things -- the tracks have to do it or we're going to have a four-hour delay in the middle of it because we have a pothole in the middle of the
track. It's just a tough box that our cars are running so fast that they have to limit our speed with the tires, so that's what makes it tough to race on."
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