NASCAR suspends crew chiefs for Kenseth, Evernham Motorsports.

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR took its strongest stance against cheating Tuesday, suspending the crew chiefs for Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Scott Riggs and Elliott Sadler and docking all four drivers points before the season-opening Daytona 500 for failing inspections.

Kahne, Riggs and Sadler are teammates at Evernham Motorsports. Kenseth, the 2003 series champion and runner-up last season, drives for Roush Racing.

Robbie Reiser, crew chief for Kenseth, and Kenny Francis, crew chief for Kahne, were suspended four races. Rodney Childers, crew chief for Riggs, and Josh Brown, crew chief for Sadler, were suspended two races.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17136318/

So this is the strongest stance they have?

 

[Speedy70]

Wow.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

On a related note...

Jenna Fryer (who I generally don't like) has a pretty good column on the AP: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAR_NASCAR_IN_THE_PITS_021207?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-02-12-20-36-02

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Suspending a crew chief for the Daytona 500 hasn't seemed to deter teams from cheating. Maybe it's time to throw out the driver, too.

Three teams failed inspection Sunday during qualifying for the biggest race of the season. If it's determined they deliberately skirted the rules, it will prove teams didn't get the message when NASCAR sent crew chief Chad Knaus home after cheating while preparing Jimmie Johnson's car a year ago.

But what lessons could they have learned? With Knaus banned from the track for four weeks, Johnson still won the Daytona 500 - the Super Bowl of racing - and a second event two weeks later.

Then he capped the season by winning the Nextel Cup title.

So don't blame the crew chiefs for Kasey Kahne, 2003 cup champion Matt Kenseth and new Toyota team owner Michael Waltrip - the three drivers who failed to make it past NASCAR's inspectors Sunday.
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The real story: Crew chief is not allowed at the track. Crew chief works at pit shop and for all we know hits up interim crew chief on Direct Connect :laughing:

They need to start suspending drivers for cheating - park 'em like you did Harvick. DQ them just like you did Dale Jarrett in 1995 at Michigan. They've done it before.

They've done it before, they can do it again. I get so bitter everytime a driver fails postrace tech and ends up with that (W) in the results column.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

C'mon Pete - say it's acceptible for NASCAR to be inconsistent just for the sake of argument. Don't let me down

 

[Tomcat]

Michael Waltrip's crew chief David Hyder was suspended indefinitely
CLICKIE<-
I read elsewhere it may have been sterno in his intake manifold, either to enhance the fuel mixture, or re-shape the intake for 2 laps and be gone???

 

[Speedy70]

Michael Waltrip's crew chief David Hyder was suspended indefinitely
CLICKIE<-
I read elsewhere it may have been sterno in his intake manifold, either to enhance the fuel mixture, or re-shape the intake for 2 laps and be gone???

They're supposed to make an announcement shortly on Speed.

 

[kom526]

Don't dock the drivers points before the season, there are ways to be more severe. Dock them HALF of the points they score in a race. 1st place points gets knocked down to 21st place etc. The owners and SPONSORS will definitely take notice of that.

 

[itsbob]

Catch someone cheating take em out behind the garage and shoot em. that will take care of the problem.

 

[Dutch6]

Catch someone cheating take em out behind the garage and shoot em. that will take care of the problem.

I think you would run out of drivers way too fast doing that. :shrug:

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

Don't dock the drivers points before the season, there are ways to be more severe. Dock them HALF of the points they score in a race. 1st place points gets knocked down to 21st place etc. The owners and SPONSORS will definitely take notice of that.

Johnny Benson is who MSNBC picks as BP's successor.

 

[Mikeinsmd]

Johnny Benson is who MSNBC picks as BP's successor.

This I agree with you on. Johnny is a nice guy but B O R I N G....

Mikey may need a job soon....

 

[Pete]

C'mon Pete - say it's acceptible for NASCAR to be inconsistent just for the sake of argument. Don't let me down

Why do you call it "inconsistent"? They have said they were going to crack down and they are.

Jever think that maybe the paid inspectors and the officials may have a little more insight into what they found that you? Some things require more punishment than others. Why did Waltrip's crew chief get and indefinite suspension and Kenseth's only 4 weeks? One blatantly violated the rules, one stretched them a little too far. What about a minor oversight? Martins non-stamped shock at Homestead a few years ago, did that call for a suspension?

Basically what I am saying is it might be that the people who actually know a wrist pin from a main bearing bolt have a better idea who tried what and the degree of punishment than an adolescent self proclaimed expert who formats hard drives for the Chuck County BOE.

 

[Tomcat]

They're reporting this morning the suspect substance may be a jet fuel additive. Fuel system icing inhibitors, would be my guess,(CH3-O-CH2-CH2-O-CH2-CH2-OH). Look at all the Oxygen it contains, waiting to be released.

 

[Agee]

So what's the point of "Cheating" for Daytona qualifying? Eveyone knows that once the race starts, and your in the draft, you can go from the rear of the field to up-front within 10 or so laps. Other than the week long prestige of sitting on the front row, qualifying at Daytona is more show than go...

 

[Bustem' Down]

Were any of the teams Toyota? All I saw were names of drivers, and I don't know what they drive.

 

[nachomama]

Were any of the teams Toyota? All I saw were names of drivers, and I don't know what they drive.

Waltrip's car is a Toyota. Evernham has Dodge's and Kenseth is in a Ford.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

So what's the point of "Cheating" for Daytona qualifying? Eveyone knows that once the race starts, and your in the draft, you can go from the rear of the field to up-front within 10 or so laps. Other than the week long prestige of sitting on the front row, qualifying at Daytona is more show than go...

Money... And with Waltrip, he could've locked in.

 

[Mikeinsmd]

So what's the point of "Cheating" for Daytona qualifying? Eveyone knows that once the race starts, and your in the draft, you can go from the rear of the field to up-front within 10 or so laps. Other than the week long prestige of sitting on the front row, qualifying at Daytona is more show than go...

The further back in the pack you are, the more likely you'll be in the "BIG ONE". Especially on restarts.

You're much safer near the front.

 

[AndyMarquisLIVE]

The further back in the pack you are, the more likely you'll be in the "BIG ONE". Especially on restarts.

You're much safer near the front.

One of the biggest wrecks in NASCAR history happened on lap 9 at Talladega Superspeedway in 2002.