NASCAR drops the (consistent) hammer on HMS

[The Voice]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR has issued penalties and fines to the No. 24 and No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports teams that compete in the Nextel Cup Series, as a result of rule infractions found this past weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

Both cars -- the No. 24 driven by Jeff Gordon and the No. 48 driven by Jimmie Johnson -- were found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); 20-2.1E (parts or components of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that have been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance will not be permitted); and 20-2H (fenders may not be cut or altered except for wheel or tire clearance which must be approved by the Series Director) of the 2007 NASCAR rule book. The violations were found during the initial inspection process last Friday.

As a result, Gordon and Johnson have each been penalized 100 driver championship points. Their respective crew chiefs -- Steve Letarte and Chad Knaus -- have each been fined $100,000, suspended for the next six Nextel Cup Series events until Aug. 15 and placed on probation until Dec. 31, 2007.

In addition, Rick Hendrick, owner of the No. 24, has been penalized 100 car owner championship points as has Gordon, who is the owner of the No. 48.

-NASCAR.com

...has anyone ever been penalized by NASCAR for violating their "probation"?

[ChromeHorn]

Looks like the same thing Junior and Eury got. Guess this is the new "baseline". By the way, if the violation was found in pre-qualifying inspection, shouldn't the cars be allowed to fix what was wrong and return through inspection again? I can understand all these big fines, suspensions, points dockings, etc. if a car qualifies or races illegally, but the cars HADN'T EVEN MADE IT TO THE TRACK YET! Further, the car technically fit the template... it was parts of the fender in between the template that stuck out.

The ingenuity is being sucked out of this sport to the point they'll all be driving cars made by the sanctioning body before long.

[The Voice]

Further, the car technically fit the template... it was parts of the fender in between the template that stuck out.

I agreed with this until they cited this rule: "...20-2H (fenders may not be cut or altered except for wheel or tire clearance which must be approved by the Series Director) "--which is pretty darned clear to me.

[DotheDew88]

How many times have HMS been penalized over the years? Are they really the most penalized team? How many times have DEI been penalized? I'm having some real problems with Jr joing these guys next year!

[SMOKEN14]

How many times have HMS been penalized over the years? Are they really the most penalized team? How many times have DEI been penalized? I'm having some real problems with Jr joing these guys next year!

HMS are the big cheaters nowadays. a few years back it was Jack Roush. it cost Mark Martin a championship

[falcon325]

I agreed with this until they cited this rule: "...20-2H (fenders may not be cut or altered except for wheel or tire clearance which must be approved by the Series Director) "--which is pretty darned clear to me.

Altered from WHAT, Voice?  These fenders are made from scratch by these teams.  If they fit the hard points on the template, did they exceed the tolerances in between?  What are the tolerances?

With all the TV coverage, why can't/won't NA$CAR SHOW the other competitors and fans EXACTLY what is required and what was done wrong. 

It may be clear to you, but I still don't have a good idea of what NA$CAR's rules are.

[The Voice]

Altered from WHAT, Voice?  These fenders are made from scratch by these teams.  If they fit the hard points on the template, did they exceed the tolerances in between?  What are the tolerances?

With all the TV coverage, why can't/won't NA$CAR SHOW the other competitors and fans EXACTLY what is required and what was done wrong. 

It may be clear to you, but I still don't have a good idea of what NA$CAR's rules are.

Michael Waltrip said on INC last night that NASCAR provided all the shops with CAD drawings of the COTs long ago. If that's the case, then the rule refers to alterations which would make the car deviate from the CAD specs.

[HUDSON HORNET]

Michael Waltrip said on INC last night that NASCAR provided all the shops with CAD drawings of the COTs long ago. If that's the case, then the rule refers to alterations which would make the car deviate from the CAD specs.

"Michael Waltrip said"?! 
Hmmmmmmm
Didn't Michael Waltrip ALSO say he had no idea how whatever it was got in the fuel tank on his race car? 
Hmmmmmmm

You DON'T want to believe Jayski, but you'll believe Michael Waltrip? 
The most notorious cheater yet this season. 
Isn't THAT interesting? 

                          

[The Voice]

"Michael Waltrip said"?! 
Hmmmmmmm
Didn't Michael Waltrip ALSO say he had no idea how whatever it was got in the fuel tank on his race car? 
Hmmmmmmm

You DON'T want to believe Jayski, but you'll believe Michael Waltrip? 
The most notorious cheater yet this season. 
Isn't THAT interesting? 

                          

I don't believe Michael knew the additive had been added; I think Hyder, who refuses to talk about it, did it. In other words, I think he told the truth.

By the way, remember the whole "jet fuel" deal? Just added the over-the-counter STP Gas Treatment to my own car. Know what the label says in BIG LETTERS?

"Contains JET FUEL" Yeah, that makes a big difference in my car's power--now I can win the pole Friday!

In any case, Despain, Schrader or Biffle could have contradicted him on the CAD statement if it were not true.

[HUDSON HORNET]

--now I can win the pole Friday!

I suspect that's just a rumor.               


Can you provide a link to back that statement up?

[The Voice]

I suspect that's just a rumor.               


Can you provide a link to back that statement up?

Well, no, it hasn't happened yet. I'm good, but not that good.

[FS Ren]

HMS are the big cheaters nowadays. a few years back it was Jack Roush. it cost Mark Martin a championship

That wasn't even close to being a cheat.  The carburetor spacer that he was penalized for back in 1991 was the correct height, but the difference was that they took two one inch spacers and welded them together instead of stacking them, or using a two inch solid spacer.  (It may be 1/2" and 1", the  idea's the same) It provided no performance gains at all.  But since it wasn't technically the way that NASCAR specified, Martin was fined 46 points, and later lost the championship to Earnhardt by 26 points. 

Not even close to what HMS does, but it made just as much difference when it came to the actual race.  In fact, Martin's car had been using the same spacer for several races before it was noticed.  HMS's attempts are always caught in pre-qualifying inspection. They never make it onto the track. 

[racin_girl72]

I wasn't surprised by the penalty.  But with such a big point lead and a spot almost assured in the Chase, with their big bonus point totals.  Who cares about a 100 point penalty?  Knaus and Letarte will just be working on Chase cars the next 6 weeks.  Doesn't seem like a big deterrent to me if you already have a point cushion.  Yes it hurts early in the year, but not for these teams; not now anyway.

[HUDSON HORNET]

I'm good, but not that good.

                     

I dunno Voice.   
THAT might just be a rumor too.   
I think you're as "good" as you wanna be. 

[smyler]

You say this is a consistent hammer.  I could not disagree more.  I think it is totally inconsistent!  I won't even put it in my own words.  Read what DW says.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/6952372?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=167

When NASCAR put the templates they use during inspection on the No. 24 and No. 48 cars at Sonoma, they fit. Those cars were legal to race.

Not allowing the Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson to qualify and starting them at the rear of the field are pretty big penalties in and of themselves. I just don't see how NASCAR justifies docking the drivers and teams 100 driver and owner points and suspending the crew chiefs six weeks with $100,000 fines apiece.

I know you're going to say, "DW, you're on the Hendrick payroll." I'm not. I'm a competitor who has driven cars and owned teams. I look at these situations through the eyes of someone that has been in NASCAR for a long time.

Have you seen the egg crate, the cradle that they built for the little Car of Tomorrow baby? It's huge. It drops down over the top of the car and incorporates every template known to man. There's hardly an area on the car that it doesn't document and verify.

Obviously, they forgot to put a template or a check point on at least one area of the car because that's the area where No. 48 crew chief Chad Knaus and No. 24 crew chief Steve Letarte worked. Ever since we've been racing, teams have put templates on the cars and looked at what's left. If there's a place where you can kind of work around that template, that's always been acceptable. That's never been a problem.

In the past, if NASCAR saw something on the car that the template didn't check, they might say, "Don't bring it back that way anymore. We're not going to accept it. We don't want to see it." Or they might even make a template off of that car that weekend so you and others don't try to do it again.