Points not taken: No. 48 team didn't use illegal piece
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Chad from Herrin, Ill.: Do you find it strange that the No. 48 team did not receive a points penalty while others have received points penalties in the past, for example, Kevin Harvick at Las Vegas in 2005 and most recently Terry Labonte at Daytona?
Larry McReynolds: I called NASCAR on Wednesday morning because I knew we were going to have to address this question on NASCAR Performance tonight (7 p.m. ET on XM and MRN Radio) and every show for SPEED and FOX. It's got the media, the fans and everybody up in the air. To be honest with you, until I talked to NASCAR this morning, I was up in the air about why the No. 48 team's rule infraction at Daytona didn't warrant a reduction of driver and owner points.
I'll do my best to explain it with these four scenarios provided by NASCAR.
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Points penalty
- Last March at Las Vegas, No. 29 crew chief Todd Berrier welded the fuel filler so it looked like it was full of fuel when it wasn't.
- Two weeks ago at Daytona, the Hall of Fame Racing's No. 96 car qualified with an unapproved carburetor.
- Last fall during qualifying at Talladega, Berrier and the No. 29 team had some trap doors in the trunk that weren't properly sealed off. The shocks were open when they were supposed to be closed. And some hose clamp that holds the fuel-filler pipe in place came loose. The next thing you know, Kevin Harvick's car had air underneath the car, going up through the trunk and escaping out a hole in the back of the tail light. In that instance, no unapproved parts or pieces were used.
- During Daytona 500 qualifying this year, crew chief Chad Knaus and the No. 48 team put a sleeve over the trackbar adjuster. Like the No. 29 car at Talladega last fall, all of those parts and pieces were still part of the car that they raced in the Daytona 500.
According to NASCAR, those two infractions warranted not only a fine but a reduction of 25 driver and owner points because the fuel filler and the carburetor were absolutely unapproved parts. NASCAR was able to walk over to the car and confiscate those pieces, and their use was premeditated. The pieces were specifically made to skirt NASCAR's rules.
No points penalty
All of the pieces that were used on those cars were still on the car during the races. That's why those two infractions warranted a $25,000 fine and a crew chief suspension but no deduction of driver and owner points. I'm glad that I picked up the phone and called NASCAR because I totally they took 25 driver and owner points away from the No. 29 at Talladega, but they did not.
NASCAR's penalty pattern
I'll be the first to tell you that I still don't know if I agree with the ruling, but since NASCAR did not take 25 driver and owner points from the No. 29 at Talladega last year, I understand the ruling a little better.
| Speed Mail Larry |
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Cheater vs. champion
The reason that some have coined the No. 48 team a cheater not a champion has nothing to do with just Daytona. It's the history of the race team. It's Las Vegas and Dover last year. No different than Kevin Harvick a few years ago, NASCAR has probably reached the end of its rope with Chad Knaus. When I talked to NASCAR on Wednesday morning, they were very adamant that Knaus is on probation until Dec. 31. I'm still trying to figure out what the word probation actually means to NASCAR, but time will tell.During a race, the only thing NASCAR can monitor is whether Knaus is on the premises or has radio communication with the team. How can NASCAR stop a cell phone call or an e-mail? They can only monitor so many things. Other than team engineer and interim crew chief Darian Grubb calling Knaus after each practice and maybe the night before the race at California, Las Vegas and Atlanta, I just don't think those two men will try to communicate on race weekend. If you think the No. 48 team will try to reach out to Knaus during the next three races, you're underestimating Grubb.
FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com.
"How to Become a Winning Crew Chief" is on bookstore shelves, or you may order your own autographed copy from www.DWStore.com.
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