Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick took several questions following his appearance Tuesday before the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Board. The three-member board upheld all penalties assessed by NASCAR to the No. 48 team following rules violations found in opening day inspection for the Daytona 500.
Hendrick: I appreciate the process. It was a lot of conversation today,
and of course we’re disappointed that the outcome was the way it was. But we’re
going to go ahead to the next level and present our case one more time. So I
stand firmly behind our guys. But I do applaud NASCAR in giving us a process
that we can present our side of things, and then try to come to a conclusion. So
for that I’m very appreciative of the system that NASCAR has in place. So we’re
just onward and upward. We’ll go to Bristol (Tenn.), and we’ll try to get No.
200, and we’ll deal with this one when the time comes.
Q: Because of the appeal, will Chad Knaus be in Bristol?
Hendrick: Chad
(Knaus, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet) will be in Bristol.
Q: When do you expect the next appeal to be heard?
Hendrick: They’ll just
have to tell me when to show up.
Q: How comfortable do you feel about the appeals process?
Hendrick: All I
can tell you is I believe in my guys, and I believe in the system, but we’ll
just have to take it. You know, you won’t know till it’s over, and I know how we
feel, and so we’ll just have to go on. I appreciate you letting our guys do
their jobs until it’s over.
Hendrick: I think it’s best that I just wait till we go
through the processes. There’s really nothing for me to talk about that you
don’t already know, and when we have an opportunity to go through the process,
then we can talk about how we disagree.
Q: Would you like to see the process changed?
Hendrick: You know, it’s
hard to say. I think it’s a good process, and I say these guys are very capable
people. I think it’s just hard to have someone to try to digest everything that
you have to digest in this situation. But again, from the days I started in this
sport, and what you had to deal with to today, NASCAR has made tremendous
strides and none of us want to have to go through this. But sometimes you just
disagree, and this is one of those cases.
Q: Do you have a legitimate hope of having it overturned? Why don't you just accept it and move on?
Hendrick: I don’t accept it. Period.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Does 2005 ruling doom Jimmie Johnson's NASCAR appeal?
The year was 2005. But the argument made in the NASCAR appeals process is very similar to the one Hendrick Motorsports and Jimmie Johnson plan to make on Tuesday.
Team owner James Finch had argued before the National Stock Car Racing Commission that he could not be penalized for an illegal carburetor used by his team in a Nationwide Series race at Texas because it had passed the NASCAR inspection process several times previously.
The penalties for the unapproved carburetor were harsh - disqualification of driver Johnny Sauter from the event (no points and money from the event), and a four race suspension and probation for the remainder of the year for the team's crew chief.
The appeals board, however, would have none of it.
"The onus is on the entrant to present a car that is legal at ALL times. The onus is not on NASCAR to detect every rules violation at every inspection," the board wrote in its ruling.
In fact, the argument worked so poorly, the board actually INCREASED the team's penalty - adding a $25,000 fine to Finch in addition to the penalties already handed down. This is one of just two times in NASCAR history the appeals board INCREASED the penalties - which it has the power to do.
Johnson was docked 25 points, his crew chief and car chief suspended six races and crew chief assessed a $100,000 fine for having altered C posts on their car prior to qualifying for the Daytona 500.
One of the main arguments being made by Hendrick officials is that the car passed inspection four previous times in the same fashion.
Will it work?
Given the history, my guess is not a chance. In fact, the situation may only get worse.
Team owner James Finch had argued before the National Stock Car Racing Commission that he could not be penalized for an illegal carburetor used by his team in a Nationwide Series race at Texas because it had passed the NASCAR inspection process several times previously.
The penalties for the unapproved carburetor were harsh - disqualification of driver Johnny Sauter from the event (no points and money from the event), and a four race suspension and probation for the remainder of the year for the team's crew chief.
The appeals board, however, would have none of it.
"The onus is on the entrant to present a car that is legal at ALL times. The onus is not on NASCAR to detect every rules violation at every inspection," the board wrote in its ruling.
In fact, the argument worked so poorly, the board actually INCREASED the team's penalty - adding a $25,000 fine to Finch in addition to the penalties already handed down. This is one of just two times in NASCAR history the appeals board INCREASED the penalties - which it has the power to do.
Johnson was docked 25 points, his crew chief and car chief suspended six races and crew chief assessed a $100,000 fine for having altered C posts on their car prior to qualifying for the Daytona 500.
One of the main arguments being made by Hendrick officials is that the car passed inspection four previous times in the same fashion.
Will it work?
Given the history, my guess is not a chance. In fact, the situation may only get worse.
What's up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin?
It was a little surprising when late in Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. looked like he purposely ran into the back of Mark Martin in order to clear him while making a pass.
For one, it's typically not a move made by Earnhardt. And second, it's even rarer to see Martin do something that upsets another driver so much.
Earnhardt was asked about the incident after Sunday's race.
"Personally, yeah, I don’t have a problem with Mark and have so much respect for him. But to me, personally, there is an unwritten etiquette that when the guy is running the top even if you are clearing him or passing him - if you barely clear him off the corner. I’m coming 10 miles an hour faster off the top of the race track, you stay low. Don’t knock a half second off my lap time being a jerk about it. Stay low. You are going to get it in the next corner and the position is going to be yours. Don’t pull up in front of somebody when they are going to come off the corner 10 miles an hour faster," Earnhardt said.
“I didn’t really mean to put him in the wall but from the cosmetic standpoint it didn’t look like it hurt his car. Probably looked like it knocked some of the right front suspension off of it, and I am sorry about that. But, you know I felt like I was pretty frustrated at the moment before that happened, and that just kind of really sent me over the edge there.
"
For one, it's typically not a move made by Earnhardt. And second, it's even rarer to see Martin do something that upsets another driver so much.
Earnhardt was asked about the incident after Sunday's race.
"Personally, yeah, I don’t have a problem with Mark and have so much respect for him. But to me, personally, there is an unwritten etiquette that when the guy is running the top even if you are clearing him or passing him - if you barely clear him off the corner. I’m coming 10 miles an hour faster off the top of the race track, you stay low. Don’t knock a half second off my lap time being a jerk about it. Stay low. You are going to get it in the next corner and the position is going to be yours. Don’t pull up in front of somebody when they are going to come off the corner 10 miles an hour faster," Earnhardt said.
“I didn’t really mean to put him in the wall but from the cosmetic standpoint it didn’t look like it hurt his car. Probably looked like it knocked some of the right front suspension off of it, and I am sorry about that. But, you know I felt like I was pretty frustrated at the moment before that happened, and that just kind of really sent me over the edge there.
"
Friday, March 9, 2012
Danica Patrick dialing back NASCAR expectations
It
appears after a rough Sprint Cup debut at Daytona and more
frustrations last week in her Nationwide Series race at Phoenix,
Danica Patrick is ready to dial back expectations.
“I
definitely feel like I want to do well for so many people,” Patrick
said Friday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I think that I gave
myself maybe a little bit of false expectation about running this
year for the (Nationwide) championship and probably using those words
‘for the championship.’
“It’s my
first-ever full year, and what I’ve done still doesn’t add up to
one year, and I didn’t have anything before that at all in stock
cars.”
After getting
involved in three wrecks at Speedweeks – in a qualifying race, the
Nationwide race and Daytona 500 – Patrick ran just the Nationwide
event at Phoenix. But 30 laps in the race, she was a lap down. She
finished three laps down and declined all media interviews after the
race.
Two races into the
2012 Nationwide season, Patrick is 21st
in series points. In the offseason, she repeatedly said she believed
she and her No. 7 JR Motorsports team could be contenders for the
championship.
Patrick is also
running 10 cup races this season.
“I
think I need to remind myself every now and again of really where the
expectation level should be, and where mine should be,” she said.
“And I can’t let all of the exposure and hype and hope – I'm
serious when I say ‘hope’ - I can’t let that be something that
makes me feel like I have to do well.”
Monday, March 5, 2012
Scratch that Elliott Sadler-MWR deal
Elliott Sadler will not be doing five Sprint Cup races this season for Michael Waltrip Racing after all.
Over the weekend, MWR announced Sadler would drive the No. 55 Toyota in five of the races this season not on Mark Martin's schedule. Sadler drives the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing fulltime in the Nationwide Series. He drove in the Daytona 500 but had no other Cup starts planned this season.
By Sunday night, rumors were flying the deal was off and Sadler on Monday confirmed he was no longer driving for MWR in an interview with Sirius Satellite Radio.
Sadler won the Nationwide race Saturday at Phoenix. He said team owner Richard Childress told him following that race he wanted Sadler to focus on winning the Nationwide championship.
"Richard and the executives of RCR just don't think right now is the right time. It's in our best interest to win the Nationwide championship. After leading the points after the first two races, nobody wants any distractions," Sadler said.
MWR has not yet announced a replacement for Sadler in the No. 55.
Over the weekend, MWR announced Sadler would drive the No. 55 Toyota in five of the races this season not on Mark Martin's schedule. Sadler drives the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing fulltime in the Nationwide Series. He drove in the Daytona 500 but had no other Cup starts planned this season.
By Sunday night, rumors were flying the deal was off and Sadler on Monday confirmed he was no longer driving for MWR in an interview with Sirius Satellite Radio.
Sadler won the Nationwide race Saturday at Phoenix. He said team owner Richard Childress told him following that race he wanted Sadler to focus on winning the Nationwide championship.
"Richard and the executives of RCR just don't think right now is the right time. It's in our best interest to win the Nationwide championship. After leading the points after the first two races, nobody wants any distractions," Sadler said.
MWR has not yet announced a replacement for Sadler in the No. 55.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Sadler to drive five Sprint Cup races for MWR
Elliott Sadler will drive the No. 55 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing in five Sprint Cup events this season starting at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 18.
Sadler will drive both Bristol races, both Martinsville (Va.) races and the July 15 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Mark Martin is the primary driver of the No. 55 Toyota.
"This is an awesome opportunity," said Sadler. "We’ve been talking about this for a while, but wanted to get through Daytona before we announced it to everyone. If I had to pick a place on the circuit to start then Bristol would be my first choice. I can’t thank Michael and everyone at MWR enough for giving me this opportunity."
-- Ron Green Jr.
Sadler will drive both Bristol races, both Martinsville (Va.) races and the July 15 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Mark Martin is the primary driver of the No. 55 Toyota.
"This is an awesome opportunity," said Sadler. "We’ve been talking about this for a while, but wanted to get through Daytona before we announced it to everyone. If I had to pick a place on the circuit to start then Bristol would be my first choice. I can’t thank Michael and everyone at MWR enough for giving me this opportunity."
-- Ron Green Jr.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Chad Knaus: 'We didn't expect this'
AVONDALE, Az. -- Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet, said today that he's focused on the Sprint Cup race this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway while he awaits an appeal of the punishment handed down by NASCAR this week related to unapproved modifications of C-posts prior to the Daytona 500.
Knaus was fined $100,000 and suspended for six races for the violation. A date for the appeal to be heard as not been set and Knaus is allowed to work until the appeal hearing.
"Obviously, I'm deeply saddened of course. We didn't expect this," Knaus said at the track this morning. "It's not the way we wanted to start off the season but it's good to have the support of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports and we'll go after this thing and hopefully get it resolved and get back to business. Right now we're focused on Phoenix and trying to win this championship."
Asked if he anticipated a problem, Knaus said it took him by surprise.
"I didn't expect any of it to be honest with you. We do everything we can to build the best race cars we possibly can to bring to the race track and that's what we do. Unfortunately, they didn't like something so we've got to address that," Knaus said.
Knaus reiterated team owner Rick Hendrick's earlier statement that the car was no different than the cars the No. 48 team ran in all four restrictor plate races last year, each of which passed inspection.
"It did run all four (plate) races last year and went through inspection," Knaus said.
Knaus said the violation was determined through a visual inspection.
"The templates were never actually put on the car," Knaus said.
-- Ron Green Jr
Knaus was fined $100,000 and suspended for six races for the violation. A date for the appeal to be heard as not been set and Knaus is allowed to work until the appeal hearing.
"Obviously, I'm deeply saddened of course. We didn't expect this," Knaus said at the track this morning. "It's not the way we wanted to start off the season but it's good to have the support of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports and we'll go after this thing and hopefully get it resolved and get back to business. Right now we're focused on Phoenix and trying to win this championship."
Asked if he anticipated a problem, Knaus said it took him by surprise.
"I didn't expect any of it to be honest with you. We do everything we can to build the best race cars we possibly can to bring to the race track and that's what we do. Unfortunately, they didn't like something so we've got to address that," Knaus said.
Knaus reiterated team owner Rick Hendrick's earlier statement that the car was no different than the cars the No. 48 team ran in all four restrictor plate races last year, each of which passed inspection.
"It did run all four (plate) races last year and went through inspection," Knaus said.
Knaus said the violation was determined through a visual inspection.
"The templates were never actually put on the car," Knaus said.
-- Ron Green Jr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)