Right after I posted ...
... NASCAR dropped the bomb:
* Kevin Harvick lost 25 driver points, 25 owner points and his crew chief: Todd Berrier's wallet is $25 grand lighter, and he'll be on the sidelines for the next four races.
* Jimmie Johnson lost 25 driver points and 25 owner points. His crew chief, Chad Knaus, was fined $35 large and will miss the next two races.
* Kyle Busch got the same 25/25 points penalty as the other two drivers. His crew chief, Alan Gustafson, was fined $25,000 and will miss two races.
Still no 50-point penalties as I suggested below. But the crew chief suspensions ought to wake up a few people in the Nextel Cup garage.
UPDATE (12:49 p.m.): NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter told the AP:
"NASCAR doesn't feel it is fair to the teams who do meet all of the post-race requirements to continue to have people who are pushing it to the limit and then through miscalculations or whatever on their part, fail inspection. These rules are black and white and we bend over backward if a car has been in a wreck, been hit, to give them the benefit of the doubt.
"This is just unacceptable. So maybe the crew chiefs being at home will help remedy this issue."Shorter Jim Hunter: We're not kidding around this time.
AP story is here. Dustin Long will have more in the a.m. paper.
Comments (3)
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If I read right what disturbs me the most is Todd Berrier showing no remorse for what he had done. Perhaps if NASCAR had confiscated Harvick's car like they did Tony Stewart's car last year some people would understand.
The fines need to be stiffer and the suspensions meaningful, as in your car can go home this weekend, please explain to your multi-million dollar sponsor why you are being sent home.
By the same token I feel that maybe the fines towards the 48 and the 5 are splitting hairs. How do you know whether 3/16's to low is not from 300 - 400 laps of racing. If taking rubbers out of the springs caused this then be clear about this rule.
As a Chevy guy all these actions hurt, but Mr. Berrier seems to have his driver's arrogance as well. Hopefully his driver will be named to replace Rusty Wallace and I will not have to worry about him as a Chevy guy any longer.
Posted on March 15, 2005 4:51 PM
Can't say I'm surprised that Berrier got hit the hardest. After he got caught, he showed (as you noted, Mark) absolutely no remorse. In fact, he almost dared NASCAR to penalize him. That was absolutely the wrong thing to say, and Berrier will have four weekends at home to reconsider his position.
Even more surprising is that there's someone in the Cup garage more boneheaded than Kevin Harvick can be. Now we know where Harvick gets some of it from.
Posted on March 15, 2005 4:56 PM
John, glad to see you post on the Chalkboard. As you can tell over there people abide by a couple of Jimmy Spencer sayings:
1. I never forget.
2. If you mess with the bull you might get the
horns.
As far as yesterday's fines, I hope Richard Childress is happy. He lost a 20+ year employee over the liquor sponsorship and now he is stuck with a bunch of arrogant wannabe's.
There never would have been any rigged gas tanks on the #3.
Posted on March 16, 2005 9:55 AM