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Superspeedway racing tends to bring out the worst in everyone and this weekend in Talladega was no different. We had accusations of team orders, then subsequent denials, crew chiefs telling drivers to wreck on purpose, blatant cheating and complaints from everyone on track about the driving. There has been shock and outrage from the NASCAR press corps and the sport’s fan base. After all, who knew any of this went on?!
We’re Shocked Someone May Have Been Cheating
SBNation’s Jeff Gluck posted a story yesterday with audio from #48 crew chief Chad Knaus. Knaus is heard telling Jimmie Johnson to “crack the back of the car” if they win. Presumably they were beyond the allowed tolerances for whatever reason.
Knaus admitted the intention saying he was, “ Just being proactive, I just told Jimmie, ‘Look, man – we’ve just got to make sure there’s a tire mark or some type of visible damage.’ Just because cars do move when you race them like that.”
This ended up being the story du jour on Wednesday. It was unbelievable that a team could be working in the gray area – no one does that! Of course we already knew Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus were cheaters…
The Roush Team Orders
Jack Roush telling his drivers to stick with Ford teams!? Ridiculous.
This was the outrage of the weekend after word seeped out that Ford and Roush had, at the very least, made it clear that their teams should stick together at Talladega.
Ford and Roush both denied “orders” were issued, but it was pretty clear what the expectation was.
The way the talk was this weekend though you would have thought Roush was the only one that made this expectation clear. Of course anybody with two eyes and a basic understanding of the sport could see every other team on track had done the same, and why wouldn’t they? As I wrote on Monday, you draft with who brought you.
You Feel Double Crossed?
Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon were both beside themselves after the race Sunday. They had committed dancing partners who they felt abandoned, or sabotaged them in favor of teammates. It’s a cruel world.
Stewart told SB Nation:
“It’s a shame, because I’ve never seen more politics in a race go on in my life than what I saw this weekend…I think the car owners are to blame, the manufacturers are to blame and the fans don’t deserve that.“
Gordon echoed Stewart, saying after the race:
“I don’t think [Trevor Bayne] really ever had any intentions of pushing me, and if he did, the Ford folks told him to do something different. It’s politics, that’s part of it.”
As they say, it’s business, it’s not personal. And of all people I would expect Gordon and Stewart to know that. It’s true it’s unfortunate for the fans, it stinks for those who got the shaft, but the fact is it’s reality. Welcome to NASCAR boys.
Hey Trevor, Cool It With The Hyperbole
Speaking of distraught, Trevor Bayne. He’s young and apparently doesn’t know when to go light on the hyperbole. In an interview with SceneDaily he said:
“I was caught in the worst situation I could have ever been in.”
Devastating. I’ll bet there was some cringing at Roush after that interview.
He did go on to say that he wasn’t forced to switch drafting partners but felt it was his role as Kenseth’s teammate. Either way, nobody can fault him for making the decision he made – not even Jeff Gordon. He’s in a precarious position at Roush and needs to do what he has to do to keep the bosses happy and his butt in a ride.
A lesson though (not for our interests but his own) when you’re trying to make a good impression, toe the company line.
This whole week has left me shaking my head and rolling my eyes. While we don’t necessarily get to be witness to some of this stuff on a weekly basis, it happens that often. No one should be surprised about ANY of this. Consider this week a window into NASCAR reality.
Now on to Martinsville and a decidedly less controversial setting.
FoxSports first reported Monday that Greg Erwin had been replaced as crew chief for Greg Biffle’s #16 at Roush Fenway Racing. Matt Puccia, who was working on Roush’s R&D team, was announced as Erwin’s successor beginning this weekend.
Erwin and Biffle have struggled this season capturing just one top-five and five top-tens – they sit 14th in the points. Biffle finished an abysmal 21st on Sunday. Compare that to his teammates: an eighth place finish for David Ragan, a sixth place finish for Matt Kenseth and a fifth place finish for Carl Edwards. Those three also have at least one win each and combine for a total of four.
Still, the move came as a bit of a surprise. Together Erwin and Biffle have racked up four wins and three Chase appearances – including a third place points finish in 2008. For all intents and purposes, it’s been a good marriage.
That apparently has been in flux recently. Biffle is known to harangue his crew and crew chief on the radio when he doesn’t think things are going like they should. We heard that this weekend’s ranting from Biffle was enough for Erwin and he told Roush management he had enough.
It sounds as if he’s still with the organization, but was unwilling to continue in his role as crew chief of the #16. Erwin is no doubt a talented crew chief, but no one can blame him for finally deciding it was time to move on.
As we say here so often, success in this sport is all about chemistry. When you’re driver is constantly telling you you’re “ruining his career” or are incompetent it’s only a matter of time before things start to sour.
While I don’t necessarily think Matt Puccia is the answer to Biffle’s performance issues this season, perhaps a change at the top will be enough to improve that all important chemistry. Good luck to Matt Puccia in his new endeavor – I think he may need it.
It’s hard to believe we’re closing in on the final races of the season. In just more than two months we’ll be in Homestead to crown a champion for 2010. In the meantime we’ve got our Chase field set and 10 races to sort out the good from the great.
So far this season we’ve seen just how important consistency is in this points system (Kevin Harvick) and how bad luck can damage even the best teams (Jimmie Johnson). While we’ve had some convincing wins and some great performances, who exactly the strongest team is, is hard to say. The race for the championship is wide open for the first time in years, and there are 12 drivers now in a dogfight to become the next Sprint Cup Champion.
Denny Hamlin: Has all the makings of a champion. He’s the winningest driver so far this season, and when the #11 team is on, they’re on. The trouble they, and frankly all the Gibbs teams have had is consistency. Hamlin has two DNFs and five finishes of 30th or worse. His championship hopes are on his team at this point. The driver has proven he’s capable. The rest of the team now needs to figure out if they are.
Jimmie Johnson: The #48 team has been good this season – there’s no doubt about that. But they’ve struggled since the implementation of the spolier. Chad Knaus has been unable to keep up with track conditions some weekends, and other weekends, when they look like they’re on, they get hit by bad luck. Consistency was the thing that made this team so strong for so long and it just hasn’t been there. Johnson has four DNFs so far this season and nine races with finishes of 20th or worse. Just like Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson’s championship hopes rest heavily on his team – perhaps more importantly though are the things he cant control, like luck.
Kevin Harvick: Consistent is the one word to describe this team. In 26 races this season Harvick has won just three times, but built a commanding lead in the points. His average finish of 9.8 is the best of his career, and if the team can maintain it, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with. Though the team has been good just about every weekend, they’re not always in a position to win. Because of this, Harvick’s championship hopes hinge on the consistency of his competitors over the next 10 races. If everyone runs like they have all season, Harvick could very well give Richard Childress his first Cup championship since 1994.
Kyle Busch: Though he hasn’t had as many wins, Busch has been more consistent than his teammate Denny Hamlin. For that reason he might just be in a better position to win the championship. As I’ve said here before, whether you like him or not, it’s hard not to admit Kyle’s talents as a driver. That said he’s been plagued through his short career by a lack of maturity and focus. He’s definitely calmed down a lot this season, but with a truck team and his Nationwide efforts also on his mind does he consistently have what it takes to win on Sunday? Kyle Busch will be likely be a Cup Champion in the not too distant future, whether that could be this season remains to be seen.
The Roush Cars: Forgive me for grouping these guys together, but they all have the same problem – an inability to overcome the performance hump. Ford has struggled all year with the switchover to the FR9 and the Roush drivers just haven’t been as competitive as they should be. Greg Biffle is the last Ford driver to win a race back in Pocono. Before that it was Matt Kenseth last February at California. And Carl Edwards hasn’t seen victory lane since Homestead 2008. All of these guys are good enough to win championships – I’m just not sure the teams are there performance wise.
Kurt Busch: Just like many of his fellow Chasers, consistency, or lack thereof, has plagued Kurt Busch. It’s hard to believe Roger Penske doesn’t have a Cup championship. He’s certainly had drivers with the talent to do it, and teams formidable enough to compete, but it just hasn’t happened. Since becoming the lone Dodge team Penske, the organization, looks good. Kurt Busch could deliver “The Captain” his first Cup Series championship, I just don’t know if this will be the year.
Tony Stewart: This isn’t 2009 – and Tony Stewart knows it. He has hustled for every good finish he’s had this season. Though they struggled after the implementation of the spoiler, Stewart’s team looks to be back on track as of late. Since Dover he’s had 11 top-ten finishes, five top-five finishes, two second place finishes and one win. While he’s going to need to run a little bit better – as in more wins – Tony Stewart may be hitting his stride at the right time.
Jeff Gordon: Speaking of overcoming the hump. I feel bad for this team. They’re good year in and year out, but Jeff Gordon hasn’t won a race since April of 2009. Before that it was October of 2007. This season Gordon has 10 top-five finishes but no wins to speak of. He’s certainly got what it takes, but this team needs to find that little bit extra to make them a serious contender. Jeff Gordon can be a five time champion, but some things are going to have to improve.
The other two Childress Cars: Consistent but not Championship great – at least so far this season. Both Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer are consistent performers for RCR, but they, like Gordon, just haven’t been able to close the deal. Burton has been in position a couple of times this season only to lose it because of mistakes. Bowyer, like Burton, hasn’t had a win since 2008 and is probably going to need to be a little stronger to truly compete. If these two are going to go head-to-head with Kevin Harvick they’re going to need to find some speed, and fast. They’re capable, but I have my doubts.
So get this, JR Motorsports has three drivers. I know, it’s almost hard to believe.
In all seriousness, this week has got to be the pits for Kelly Bires. He started the month hopeful he’d be making his JR Motorsports debut at Daytona with Dale Earnhardt Jr., only to find out he was being booted from the ride in favor of Danica Patrick.
Now Danica is obviously an easy target. It looks pretty bad for her that Kelly Bires is now out of a ride (for Daytona). In one breath she says she’s got to consider he’s running for a championship and in the next she says “I want more racing.” While it’s a safe bet to start the blame game here I would caution you to wait.
As for Jr.’s ride in Daytona, the sponsor obligations were in place long ago. No matter what happened with the #5/#7, he was going to be in the #88. Why doesn’t Jr. just pony up the money you might ask? Again, while it might be easy to go here, this is not the problem (Click here for a response to that question and others).
You might be asking, who then is to blame? The long and short of it is the front office, though not the part you might think. The part I’m talking about is the part responsible for selling the team to corporate America. Through a tough economy and an inability to close any big new prospects (other than Danica and GoDaddy), the team finds itself short on sponsors; and as we know sponsors make the world go round.
I say this not suggesting that selling multi-million dollar deals is an easy thing. It most definitely is not. I do struggle though to understand how they were never able to lock everything up for Bires, when others have been able to. They even lost a sponsor in Fastenal. Mind you, Roush is notorious for undercutting other teams’ offers (they then are notorious for driving sponsors out of the sport, or out their front door); but that still isn’t a great excuse.
Roush was able to re-sign Conway Freight with Colin Braun this season, and last season Penske brought on Verizon (without logos in the Cup Series) to sponsor David Stremme and Justin Allgaier. While these situations certainly vary, they all lack the fundamental strength of JR Motorsports – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
I can’t say why JR hasn’t been able to sign any big new sponsorships. They could be asking for too much money, or they might not be offering enough support, who knows. What I do know is, is a team that operates as a satellite of Hendrick Motorsports and is owned by the most popular driver in the sport shouldn’t be struggling on the sponsorship front like they are.
So don’t blame Danica. She brings with her money and star-power and an existing commitment to run races with a partner she brought.
As we say here so often, this is a business, and this situation is a great example of the reality of that.
After a short hiatus, “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” returns for the 51st version. We’ve got a big batch of questions, so lets get right to it. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Maytag:
Hey I got to thinking this morning while air-jump starting a ramcar off of a nitrogen bottle , pit crews use compressed gas in a bottle to power the air guns. How many bottles do you go through on any given weekend,race only? I know the guns are hopped up. Do you use special regulators/fittings for flow? Or may I dare ask what PSI and flow rate you use? How about just a range?
It really depends on how many stops a crew does during the race, but the Cup teams and Nationwide teams will usually change their bottles out after each race. Truck teams can get a couple races out of two nitrogen bottles. And I don’t believe the regulators are anything special. In terms of PSI and flow rate, I couldn’t tell you the flow rate, but changers will run PSI anywhere from 90 up to 150. Each changer has their own preference about what PSI to run. – T.C.
2. From Bob:
I just wondering what happened to Yates Racing? I know that they are supposed to “merge” with RPM next year. Is this just a case of changing manufacturers(Dodge to Ford) and picking up a sponsor (Menards)? Will all vestiges of Yates disappear? Seems like Doug Yates just didn’t have his heart in being an owner. Such a shame as Robert Yates Racing was one of the great teams.
Yates pretty much disappeared as an organization after Robert Yates stepped away from the team and Max Jones came in as a co-owner. The last bits of Yates for all intents and purposes became Roush. From what I understand RPM will function much in the way Yates did; as a satellite of Roush. Doug has always been far more involved with Roush-Yates Racing Engines. – Journo
3. From Steve:
What’s the pecking order in the garage? Obviously, the driver is the prima donna, I figure the crew chief comes next, who comes after that and so on? And while I’m asking, how about the pecking order on the pit crew? Where does a poor tire changer fit?
I’m not 100% clear about what you are asking, but the hierarchy for the team is the driver, then the crew chief, followed by the car chief. Everyone after that is pretty much equal. Each team will have their own hierarchies based on seniority, but after those three, it’s wide open. The same is true for pit crews. Outside of seniority, there really isn’t a pecking order. Nobody is more important then anyone else. – T.C.
4. From Ric:
Since there is some talk about going to Fuel Injection in 2011, what does the garage think? Will the production of Black Helicopters ramp up?
I personally haven’t heard a ton of talk about fuel injection. I believe it is being considered, but I don’t think there will be any more black helicopters then normal. There are quite a few other racing series that successfully use and police fuel injection, and I don’t think NASCAR will be any different. – T.C.
5. From Steve:
Perhaps the subject that no one dares talks about out loud… What options does NASCAR have if a championship contender or the leader in a race is deemed to have been intentionally taken out by a friend or teammate of the 2nd place driver? I know NASCAR can penalize the offending driver and I know it would likely end their career, but is there any chance NASCAR wouldn’t allow the beneficiary of such an incident from benefiting? Football has a provision where if a runner is interfered with by someone on the sidelines, they can be awarded the touchdown. Anything similar in NASCAR?
This has actually happened in recent history. In 2003 the truck series went into Homestead with Brendan Gaughan leading Ted Musgrave by 26 points. Jim Smith, Musgrave’s team owner, entered a third truck for Marty Houston, the brother of Jim Smith’s other driver Andy Houston. With 34 laps left Marty ‘got loose’ and wrecked Brendan. Depending on who you talk to, Marty was ordered to end Brendan’s day. Here’s the video. Brendan famously said “Jim Smith can kiss my ass” on live TV. Ultimately it didn’t matter because Kvapil won the championship. While NASCAR can do just about whatever they want, they aren’t going to give anyone a position they didn’t earn (there’s not presently any precedent for it). Potentially a driver could be fined or penalized, but it would be difficult to prove. – Journo
6. From Ric:
When the crew chiefs give info to the driver about who took how many tires (and other things), where do they get the info? NASCAR? Individual organizations? What info / stats do they have in front of them? Can us viewers get this info?
Information regarding pit stops for other drivers often comes from the spotter. They are the ones with the best view of pit road. Crew chiefs can see the teams directly around them, but not those up and down pit road. The only information about the race that NASCAR provides is timing and scoring. Crew chiefs will usually have notes from previous races in front of them, to go along with timing and scoring data. And there is no special system that viewers can plug into to get extra information. – T.C.
7. From Larry:
Given all of the vacillating, that Kyle Busch has done over the past two weeks, pertaining to his 2010 truck team, the picture is as clear as mud. Do you have any idea, as to what is fact and what is rumor? How many trucks and who might be driving them?
Despite the reluctance Kyle has expressed publicly we keep hearing it’s moving forward. We heard early on in the process Tayler Malsam was a candidate, but we’ve heard he’s likely done with NASCAR (by choice). Johnny Benson was another rumor, as was Brian Ickler. Nothing new though. As far as we know though it’s still moving forward. – Journo
8. From Ric:
When a car needs to change it’s paint scheme what is the process? Paint is removed / decal ( not sure what it’s called when the whole car is one big decal) peeled off or is the metal replaced and new metal / paint scheme is put on?
Unless the car’s body is damaged, the metal is not replaced. Most paint schemes are a combination of paint and vinyl wrap (decals). If there is a color change, the wrap is removed and the old paint is sanded off. Then the body guys can repaint and redecal the car. – T.C.
9. From Tim:
Have there been any surprise cuts from Hatchet Day? After wasting most of the year on a bad manufacturing decision, has Roush got it right or will they over-correct in the off-season? (It looks like RCR is on the upswing, it’s great to see The Mayor back up front.) When will someone rip off Jimmie Johnson’s face and expose him for the robot that he really is? I’m so tired of seeing him dominate, in the same way that the haters feel watching Kyle win NWS, but those two boys have some mad skills.
Other than normal spring (or winter?) cleaning that gets done, we haven’t heard of anything big. Most (if not all) of the Wyler and HT Harris shops have been laid off and we’ve heard about some layoffs at Roush. At other big teams though (other than RPM) we haven’t heard anything. The off-season is still very young though. – Journo
10. From Ric:
Crew chiefs get all the blame when something is wrong with the car. How much work does a crew chief actually do on a car? Does the crew chief or the car chief make the decisions on various aspects of things being done to the car? What are the job duties of both?
In most cases with big teams, you won’t see crew chiefs actually working on the race cars at the track. Back in the day they would, but now crew chiefs have become more like team managers. They work with the driver on the setup and then relay changes to the car chief and mechanics in the garage. Crew chiefs work on overall setup and race strategy. The car chief has now become the lead mechanic. Once a base setup is ready, the car chief and an assistant will set the car up in the shop. For many teams I’ve worked for, the crew chief doesn’t even come down off the hauler during practice. Any changes will be radioed back to the car chief, who will lead the other mechanics in making those adjustments. – T.C.
11. From Emanuel:
I apologize if this has been covered, but I was wondering what’s up with the black stripe on Kyle Petty’s #45 hat? Is this in protest of his Dad basically selling the company? P.S. it was great getting to know you guys through your page this season. You guys are awesome.
He wears that in remembrance of his son Adam. Adam was killed during a Busch Series practice at New Hampshire in 2000. Kyle also took over Adam’s #45 number after his death. – Journo
12. From Mr. Ed:
What did you all do for turkey day?
I relaxed at home with my family, watched a little football, and ate some great food! – T.C.
My thanksgiving looked about the same as TC’s. – Journo
13. From BJ:
I’ve read that Steve Addington, former crew chief for Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing, has had several calls from interested organizations, but have you heard anything about where he may be in 2010?
This is speculation on my part, but I’ve got to believe he is the lead candidate to replace Pat Tryson as Kurt Busch’s crew chief at Penske. Addington is a proven winner, and he has experience in dealing with a cranky Busch brother. Plus, Penske has the money to throw at Addington. Do not expect him to take over as Dale Jr.’s crew chief at Hendrick. I’ve seen some fans float this idea, but Hendrick won’t go back on his decision to keep Lance McGrew, unless something really drastic happens. – T.C.
14. From Michael:
With Nascar mandating that the 26 Team be shut down (since Roush was unable to move the team anywhere), where do the owner points for the 26 stand? Can Roush sell them off? Do they just disappear into the vapor? Scott Speed fans want to know. Thanks.
I believe they will just go away. Since Roush cannot have five teams, I don’t believe NASCAR would allow a fifth car next year to have Roush as the listed owner (which is what happens when points are sold). This is similar to the DEI/Ginn situation a few years back. DEI was not able to sell the points from the remaining Ginn teams because that would have put them over the team limit. – T.C.
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!