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Posted on 02/06/2007 10:18:26 AM PST by WestCoastGal
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Restrictor M plate.
Ya know, I've seen several family businesses destroyed after the death of one of the principals and the kids demanding their inheritance. I know Jr. fans think he hung the moon and can do anything, but they should remember, DE drove the car, Theresa ran the business.
I wonder sometimes if all the well meaning race fans realize just how close they sound to Hillary's rant on Exxon.
PING
I was just out walking the dog early this morning, the moon and the stars were so beautiful and I just had to thank Jr for putting them up there. :)
I think all the other drivers, Gordon, Harvick, Burton, Stewart etc and almost the entire media can't be wrong in saying Teresa is an absentee owner and that DEI is slowly drifting away from the competitive edge they had 3 or 4 years ago. They have not kept up in the R&D area because of a lack of personnel and funding. Richie Gilmore who should be at the shop doing that is relegated to be at the track for the owner.
This whole commotion started when she did the WSJ article saying Jr needed to decide whether he wanted to be a celebrity or a Nascar driver. Many wondered if she ever said that or was taken out of context. She never bothered to explain other than when cornered she said she "probably" meant that.
Even other owners understand that to run a Cup team successfully you have to be there, spend the money and know what's going on. There was a Wind Tunnel show in 2005 when DEI swapped teams. He had Ray Evernham on and he asked him what he thought would happen to DEI since it appeared to be heading in a downward spiral. Ray answered very seriously and said they already have the right man to step up to the plate and take care of DEI. He said that man was Dale Jr. He said Dale was the man for the job and the time was coming when he would take DEI in the direction it needed to go. Despain looked at him kind of shocked and said really? Ray shook his head yes, really!
Then there's Max.........who said "If you've been in business long enough, nothing surprises you," Siegel said Saturday. He has been on the job as DEI's president of global operations for about a month. "I'm not offended by anything that anyone who contributes would ask. If someone was not aggressive, didn't want the most for themselves … I'd be afraid to be in business with them." Note his title says nothing about motorsports. Time will tell.
entire media can't be wrong
Like ABCNBCCBSCNNCNBCMSNBC?
Just spoke with our UPS driver, he is not happy that DJ switched to Toyota.
The 9 and 17 crew chiefs have been ejected from Daytona. They have been suspended for 4 races, fined $50 grand each, and docked 50 driver and owner points.
In addition, Rodney Childers, crew chief for the #10 car driven by Scott Riggs has been suspended for 2 races. Also, Josh Brown, crew chief for Elliot Sadler has been suspended for 2 races and each fined $25,000.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/6470744
After president Brian France promised earlier on Tuesday that NASCAR would "step up the penalties to a level that makes a true deterrent" to its race teams, the sanctioning body put the hammer down on four crew chiefs Tuesday.
Robbie Reiser and Kenny Francis were issued four-week suspensions and $50,000 fines for illegal aerodynamic alterations made to the Nos. 17 and 9 before qualifying for the Daytona 500. There were also 50-point penalties for drivers Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne and 50-owner-point penalties issued to Roush Racing and Evernham Motorsports. The penalties issued to the teams are unprecendented.
A two-race suspension and $25,000 fine were handed to Josh Browne, crew chief for No. 19 Elliott Sadler, and Rodney Childers, crew chief for Scott Riggs' No. 10 car. Their teams were penalized 25 driver and owner points as well.
"It's obvious that we've ramped up our penalties and we're going to get people's attention," said NASCAR vice president of competition.
Kahne's Evernham Motorsports Dodge and Kenseth's No. 17 Roush Racing Ford had holes that were supposed to be covered were not, NASCAR officials said Sunday, affecting the aerodynamics of the cars. The holes were found during post-qualifying inspections.
The suspensions to the Nos. 19 and 10 cars were due to unapproved modifications to the decklid. The No. 19 car is owned by Evernham Motorsports and the No. 10 is co-owned by Evernham and James Rocco.
Ping to above and not much news on Waltrips except this on Nascar.com
NASCAR said no determination had yet been made on a "substance" found in the intake manifold of the engine in Michael Waltrip Racing's No. 55 Toyota, after which the manifold was confiscated; or the release of the entire car and second manifold, which were impounded following the car's 24th-place qualifying run.
Is it me or is Nascar losing its marbles or just skidding out of control on the high side of the track on marbles?
They are so inconsistent their prejudice is showing.
Here is what happened with the 48 last year.
http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/02/21/jjohnson_cknaus/index.html
Knaus suspended through Atlanta
No. 48 loses no points, Knaus fined $25,000; No. 96 penalized
By David Newton, NASCAR.COM
February 22, 2006
10:10 AM EST (15:10 GMT)
CHARLOTTE -- Chad Knaus was shocked when Jimmie Johnson's car didn't pass NASCAR's post-qualifying inspection for Sunday's Daytona 500, resulting in what amounts to a four-race suspension for the veteran crew chief.
"Yeah I was shocked,'' Knaus said after NASCAR announced on Tuesday he would miss the next three races on top of being ejected from the 500 won by Johnson.
Smith on KnausMarty Smith reacts to the penalty handed down to Chad Knaus
Knaus reactsChad Knaus on his driver's Daytona 500 win and his penalty
Highs and Lowe'sKnaus on his pride in the 48 team and the challenges ahead
Press PassListen to the media interview the Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson
Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836
"I didn't know what was going on. I came back [from getting ready for the rained out Budweiser Shootout] and our car, I thought was going through inspection, was covered up. Yeah, I was shocked.''
Knaus, who also was fined $25,000, would not discuss the specifics of what NASCAR referred to as a device that that pushed the rear window out more than three-quarters of an inch to create an aerodynamic advantage.
Although he has apologized to Johnson, sponsors and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, Knaus showed little remorse and never admitted during a lengthy conference call that what he did was a blatant attempt to break the rules as NASCAR said.
"There's a lot of things out there that can be called intentional,'' said Knaus in his first interview since being ejected from Daytona. "The fact of the matter is, when NASCAR went back, it didn't fit the templates. How that happens is pretty irrelevant.''
Knaus' response didn't seem to surprise Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition.
"Maybe that's why he's in trouble,'' Pemberton said.
Knaus was relieved that Johnson was not penalized championship points as Terry Labonte, driving for Hall of Fame Racing, was for having an unapproved carburetor during qualifying.
Labonte was docked 25 points and team owner William Saunders was penalized 25 owner points. Crew chief Philippe Lopez was fined $25,000.
Pemberton said Knaus' penalty was in line with past violations. He cited the four-race suspension given to Todd Berrier, the crew chief for Kevin Harvick, for rigging a fuel cell to appear full during qualifying last year at Las Vegas.
Terry Labonte
ALSO
The following is a statement from Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs regarding the $25,000 fine and the deduction of 25 owner and 25 driver points NASCAR levied against the No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing Team for having an unapproved carburetor during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona.
Hall of Fame Racing has an engine lease program with Joe Gibbs Racing, and the unapproved carburetor came with the engine supplied to Hall of Fame Racing.
"Joe Gibbs Racing provides all of the engines and carburetors for Hall of Fame Racing," said Gibbs. "We are responsible for any issues having arisen from the unapproved carburetor that was taken by NASCAR in Daytona. It is never our intention to put any unapproved parts on any of our race cars or those of our partners. We will join Hall of Fame Racing in appealing the severity of the penalty."
Pemberton said the difference between Knaus' penalty and the Hall of Fame penalty was Labonte's car had an illegal part.
"When we lay our hands on that, that's when we generally go with points,'' he said. "In the case of [Johnson's car] it was all legal parts and pieces, the window and the jack bolt.
"It wasn't anything illegal about the pieces. They just were orchestrated in a way to alter the back of the car.''
Pemberton believes the loss of a crew chief for a month is more severe than a points penalty. On that, Knaus agreed.
Are we running slow here or did Lil Brian break the Internet?
As a reminder, the trick rear window that Hen¢AR's favorite crew chief cooked up last year that the #17/#9 violations were "only" as serious as earned habitual violator Chad Knaus a 4-week/$25,000 vacation during which he had an open phone line to the pit box and exactly zero points deducted from Hen&CAR's favorite driver and owner.
Thanks for all your time and efforts and play-by-play here at FR and being an advocate for a return to sanity and a spirit of fairness in the overall direction of Nascar. It has been a honor to have you banging away on the keyboard here on the race threads.
There is no method to the madness of what we are watching, rather an utter disregard for the spirit of the circuit that has been forsaken by a few who just don't see what they have done and continue to do to a long-time American tradition and institution.
Speaking of institution, what's the old saying about the inmates running the asylum.
Again, Thanks from all of us who will slog on for a bit more.
Booger needs to put some wedge in............somewhere.
I know where I'd like to shove a couple wedges. ;-)
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