NASCAR drops the (consistent) hammer on HMS

[HUDSON HORNET]

Don't forget the sponsors. Pemberton actually said that on-camera a couple of weeks ago.

Good point!

Unfortunately, NASCAR has evolved into Big Business and the sponsors are now a necessary evil in that they have access to the control stick. The course the sponsors set does not necessarily actually benefit the racing aspect, but that's not necessarily their actual intention. Investors want to see returns, measured in dollars, not championships.
Success is measured in profit for the sponsors and their investors.
Follow The Money Trail..........................

Drivers and teams pay big bucks for mistakes that increase viewership, sometimes. NASCAR must be saying, "Thanx for the exposure. Now pay up."
For all WE know, it might be the SPONSORS who are suggesting teams push the envelope.
And The Brian knows it, and knows his limitations.
As well as the banking hours.

Imagine what it would be like if the sponsors all stuck together and DEMANDED The Brian cater to their whims. I'm thinking it would be like blowing a right front tire coming out of turn three at 200 mph. Out of control. Even The Brian couldn't save it.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king's horses
And all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty
Back together again.

[falcon325]

I think you guys are missing the point. 

Chris keeps puffing himself up to twice his normal size and barking about how much he knows from his glory days as a race inspector.  When I show him article after article that says that the HMS fit the templates and the areas NA$CAR didn’t like were between the templates, he just keeps puffing himself up to twice his normal size and barking about how much he knows from his glory days as a race inspector. 

He barks that there is a template for every curve on the car.  Oh really?  Just about every part of these cars are curved.  If that was true, there wouldn’t be templates.  There would be a shell.  I’ve heard of situations where the old cars fit the templates, but the areas in between looked positively scalloped.  And that—exactly the sort of thing the HMS teams did—is what NA$CAR says they want to prevent.  But their “don’t mess with” solution is just plain too subjective.

My whole point is that, going into the Chase, the teams want and need absolute clarity on what they can and cannot do.  I show Chris an article where Tony Eury asks NA$CAR for more clarity and Chris dismisses it as Eury “just trying to play ‘devils advocate’ because HE is a crew chief also,.. and he knows if he can stoke the fires, and ‘support’ the argument, then maybe he'll get some ‘wiggle room’ somewhere down the road if he needs it...”

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/columns/story?seriesId=2&columnist=smith_marty&id=2925137

In the immortal words of the GEICO caveman, “uh, WHAT?!”  Eury is trying to get some “‘wiggle room’ somewhere down the road” by asking for clearer rules?!  Chris owes me a new BS detector ‘cause he sure wrapped the needle around the peg of my old one with THAT particular piece of nonsense.  I think what I’ve got here is a guy so wrapped up in raw hatred for Rick Hendrick that he can’t get beyond it.  That’s a shame, because to me, this isn’t about HMS.  I think there are some very, very interesting implications of NA$CAR’s vague “don’t mess with the fender” type rules.

The COT—and particularly the COT with clearer, more specific rules—diminishes NA$CAR’s ability to influence the outcome of a race.   If all of the areo tuning on the car is going to be limited to the wing and the splitter, that reduces the places where teams can get creative and gain a competitive advantage.  For you NA$CAR conspiracy theorists, that also reduces NA$CAR’s ability to wink and giggle at those cars they need to see succeed so that ratings will go up and fannies will fill the seats.  One thing Chris was right about is that tech inspection takes place right out in front of God and everybody.    Clear rules tie NA$CARs hands.  If a template doesn’t fit the 8 or 20 or 24, everyone can see it.  But the “don’t mess with it” type rules still allows NA$CAR to wink and giggle at those they wish to wink and giggle at. 

Can NA$CAR determine the winner of a race?  Nope.  Too many variables.  But can they throw an advantage in one direction and see how things pan out?  Of course they can.  And do.  Joke from a few years back: “Q.  How do you get a car through tech inspection at a restrictor plate track?  A.  Paint it red and put an ‘8’ on it.”  Different race fans from time to time have sworn that NA$CAR has helped Junior, HMS, JGR, RCR (remember how “Tiregate” was quickly hushed up?), etc.  I still shake my head over that ‘Dega race where Lilly tore up his fenders, got not one but two mystery debris cautions, and was still able to pull out of the draft and pass by himself to win. 

Some of us have probably been wrong.  Maybe we’re all wrong.  Maybe when it comes to helping individual cars, NA$CAR is as pure as the driven snow.  But we KNOW they try to influence the competition.  They started doing that the day they moved away from “Strictly Stock.”  How many times in recent years did NA$CAR add an inch to this make's nose or take a half-inch off that make’s spoiler.  Anyway you look at it, the sanctioning body is just a little bit pregnant.

So Chris can keep puffing himself up to twice his normal size and barking about how much he knows from his glory days as a race inspector.  As for me, I’m “declaring shenanigans” on NA$CAR. 

Going into the Chase, these crew chiefs have three things: their famous CAD drawings, Brian/Fat Bastard’s “don’t mess with it” rule, and an absolute knowledge that, to be competitive, when they hand-make their cars, they need to push it right to the edge.  But right now, outside the templates, as Tony Junior complained--they don’t know where the edges are. 

And we are looking at a situation where NA$CAR, either by winking and giggling at the team that “messes with” the hands-off area just a little bit, or by penalizing a team that “messes with” the hands-off area just a little too much, will decide who wins the Cup.  Not cool.  Not cool at all.

[flamehothead]

Great Post and I agree 100%.

I know I have been Barking about how Nascar should penalize teams if they really want them to stop cheating but the more I read about how Nascar isn't showing teams where that all so important LINE is I think they need to be a little more specific.

I don't see how Nascar can give a team the 100 point, $100,000, 6 week, 100 owner point fine when they get caught using the wrong Jack Bolt. That's like giving someone Life in Prison or the Electric Chair for J-Walking, It just doesn't fit the crime lol.

IMO if Nascar IS going to continue to throw their "Brian Rule" around then they need to be ALOT more Specific on the Rules, Especially when it comes to the BODY lmao.

Here is the way I see it and I think I have said it before. Nascar needs to take ONE COT that is as close to perfect as it's going to get and build a "Spider (some call it egg carton) around that car then build a  "Spider" for EVERY team. This way EVERY COT would be the same. If Nascar doesn't want to flip the bill then let each team come to a facility and build their own "Spider" but have Nascar officials there to make sure it's done right and then Nascar could put their Stamp on it so teams couldn't go back to the shop and build a mock one. I know, The Money issue but come on we all know they can afford it and from the sound it I bet MOST teams wouldn't care to do something like this especially DEI and HMS lol. It sounds like it would pay for itself pretty quick.

[The Voice]

The boys at HMS knew the specs for the COT. They chose to try to work outside those specs. They deserve to be punsihed.

[Chris]

Falcon you are right... SOMEONE is partial to THIR opinion.
But it's not me.  IT is you.  Like Blu posted elsewhere.  I can clearly see that you are one of those HMS supporters that truly would follow St Rick anywhere and believe anything he said ir did simply because he said it was so.  Can't see the facts for the brightness of his glory shown all around and you are blinded by the light.

As for me.  Say what you want about me.  I been there done that.  I'm not "puffed up"... I simply know the facts, and know what I am talking about.  Some people may want to follow your line of BS<.. I just want to shed some light on all the BS you are trying to spread.  I know how the egg shell template works, and that there are ALSO additional templates that attach to it.  Thanks to to Ren for posting the pics earlier and proving my point.
I don't have ANY favorites.  When my guy retired from full time racing, I never picked up a new favorite driver or team.  JUST because this is HMS doesn't mean ANYTHING. I would be saying the SAME thing if it was RCR, Roush, JGR, or any of the other teams that got caught in this same EXACT situation.  My opinions do NOT change just because of who it is.
The facts are the facts, and the rules are the rules.  WHo it is does not influence me one way or the other.  SO you are so full of BS when you say I have some kinda grudge against HMS your eyes are brown. 

As far as the fenders and the situation... I say it once more... I'll use small words and talk slowly.
The teams ALL got CAD drawings,... went to NASCAR tech school so they knew what NOT to touch,... and they were issued written memos.  ALl said do not touch the nose and fenders AT ALL.  How much simplier can it be for anyone to understand.  NO means no.
They did,.. and they got the penality they desevered

OH and by the way... the rear wing, and the front splitter are SUPPOSED to be the only body adjustments the teams now have or can make on the news cars.  This keeps them from being "IROC" cars and lets each driver tune them to his individual driving style.

[The Voice]

The teams ALL got CAD drawings,... went to NASCAR tech school so they knew what NOT to touch,... and they were issued written memos.  ALl said do not touch the nose and fenders AT ALL.  How much simplier can it be for anyone to understand.  NO means no.

This is what all the "grey area" proponents fail to understand: they knew what they were doing.