[Team Yates]

Many Driver comments about the #99 oil tank lid controversy:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. ON HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SAGA SURROUNDING THE 99 THIS WEEK AND IF HE’S EVER LOOKED AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT: “We tested in the wind tunnel and it does add down force, about 19 pounds to our car but I’m not sure. I applaud them for being creative and that’s how we got to where we are today because guys are creative to find ways to get an advantage. That’s what makes our cars drive better, drive faster. Like I said, I applaud them for doing that and trying to get that edge. Mr. Smith or the guy that runs Roush, saying it was a bolt failure, that was ridiculous. He should just come out and be honest about it. That was unfortunate and turning the blame on NASCAR saying NASCAR assures every bolt won’t fail. The guy doesn’t even know how many bolts hold the lid on so how can he make any comment on it. I thought Carl (Edwards) drove a good race, he’s a great race car driver. Even with the lid on, he probably wins the race. We’re all out there trying to get an unfair advantage and you can’t hang one guy for it. You can’t really come down on one guy because we’re all trying to do that. If you’re walking around looking at all these cars you’d find little things that you wouldn’t like, you probably wouldn’t pass inspection on every one of them if you had them for a couple of days. I got to applaud them for being creative and trying to get that extra advantage. That’s what you try to do.”
Jeff Burton ON HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT THE OIL TANK LID COMING OFF THE #99 AT VEGAS AND IF HE BELIEVES IT CAUSED AN ADVANTAGE. “Taking the oil tank lid off of the oil tank is not something new. That’s something that has gone on for a long time particularly at Daytona and Talladega qualifying. You know people used to take the shifter boots off; they take the oil tank cover off, that’s not new. I can’t tell you by any means exactly what happens when you take the oil tank off, oil tank lid off rather from a down force or drag perspective. In the past we do know that it added down force and it decreased drag. Those are two things that typically don’t go together. Typically when you decrease drag, you decrease down force or when you increase down force you increase drag. Having said that, in no way do I believe is the 99 not going to run well this weekend because they have their oil tank lid taped down. It probably is an advantage. “Is that why they won the race? I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. One thing that I have learned about these race cars is typically things don’t fall off of cars that hurt the cars. That’s one thing I’ve learned. Crew members don’t typically leave a-frames loose, they typically don’t leave brakes loose, gauges don’t fall out of them. We have highly trained mechanics that have checklists but mistakes do happen. Mistakes do happen. I certainly don’t know if they did it on purpose or not, or nor would I claim to. It did happen and I guess that’s the end of the story.”
Jimmie Johnson WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE PENALTIES ISSUED TO THE #99 CARL EDWARDS AND HAVE YOU HEARD OF THIS OIL COVER DOWNFORCE EQUATION AT ALL? “We’re all aware of it, especially for Daytona and Talladega. That’s been a tool for years that people have used. NASCAR has gotten on to it and we saw a lot of fines there earlier in the year. I can’t say that we’ve seen it on a downforce track. So maybe there is more there than when we first saw it. But from being in that position before, NASCAR is not in the position to really defend or understand what you’re doing. It’s either right or it’s wrong. I’ve been there. I know how difficult of a time it is. It’s no fun. It’s something that no team wants to go through. So you’ve just got to take your lumps and move on. And it’s certainly going to affect the way the team runs. “At the end of the day, I know from my experience that it’s made us stronger as a team. And with how those guys have been running, from a selfish standpoint, I hope it doesn’t make them any stronger (smiles) because they’ve been awfully tough already this year.”
Kevin Harvick: ON HIS REACTION TO THE PENALTY THAT THE #99 TEAM RECEIVED FOLLOWING THE VEGAS RACE. “When you look at all the stuff that they did with the side window and the oil tank lid and the way the lid was designed to come off it sounds, I think the intent was for it all to happen. When you start messing with the safety devices and things on the side window, you’re doing things that are a pretty big no, no.”(GM Racing PR)
Kurt Busch: DO YOU ANY REACTION TO CARL EDWARDS PENALTY? “I don’t really have much on one. NASCAR is getting steeper with their penalties - that’s due to trying to even out the playing field. You have to look at it as the competition wants to get an edge on the next guy – at the same time NASCAR doesn’t want you to step out of the box to do so. And so it works in both favors – at the same time we want our fans to be happy. We want fans to watch our cars race around the race track in a legal position and know that when that car won the race -it’s because he was the fastest, not because he did some other creative things. It’s a tough double-edge sword – you’re racing out there trying to beat the other guy, but you have to stay in the box.”
Elliott Sadler: DO YOU THINK THAT ROUSH WAS TRYING TO CHEAT WITH THE 99 CAR LAST WEEK IN VEGAS? “I think that it insults my intelligence as a race car driver when you try and tell me that you accidentally left the oil tank lid off. If you go to any owner, any engineer, any driver any crew chief and ask them is that an advantage, ‘heck yeah it’s an advantage’. I’ve been doing that half of my career. When driving the 21 and 38 car, we pulled the shifter boot off and the oil tank lid off until NASCAR started to tech it. It’s 100 lbs of downforce. “Let me try and put this in perspective for you. We spend three to four million dollars a year going to the wind tunnel trying to change body shapes, trying to do underneath the car, changing crush panels and doing stuff like that all the time – trying to get a gain and trying to get and advantage - when all you have to do is take the oil tank lid off and you get 100 counts of downforce. There’s a beautiful picture of Carl Edwards doing a back-flip – I’m not taking anything away from Carl Edwards, he’s an amazing race car driver. But someone took a picture of him doing a black-flip in the right side of the car and the oil tank lid is eight inches off the top of the tank. That’s not just one bolt. And the right side safety window latches were loose – that’s were the hot air was going. They did a good job and figured it out and made it work. I’m impressed on how they did it – it was smart and it worked out for them – they won the race.” DID THEY LEAVE IT OFF BY MISTAKE? “One bolt isn’t going to raise it up seven inches off the top of the lid.” SHOULD THERE BE A DISTINCTION WHEN A RULES INFRATCTION IS OBVIOUSLY UNINTENTIONAL? “Yeah, I think there should be differences between pre-race and post-race. If they’re pretty happy with 100 points and 100,000 pre-race, make it 200 points and 200,000 after the race being the one you got to race that way. “When you present a car for inspection I understand slapping you on the wrist and saying ‘look, let’s make sure this doesn’t happy again’. I think that it should be more. If my team cheats this weekend on Sunday and I get a competitive advantage – and I get caught with it – I think that it should be more than what it is when somebody gets caught before the race. I just think that it keeps it all in line and keeps it all fair because you actually didn’t get to race with a competitive advantage.”(Dodge MS PR)(3-8-200

[Bob Tanner]

I agree with Sadler.

A little side note I heard today: In a press interview Jack Roush said, "I'd take a lie detector test to prove it was just an accident."
The ESPN reporter stepped up and said, "ESPN'll pay for the test."
Jack replied, "Oh, I think I could afford it." He then went on to another reporter for another question before the ESPN hack could reply.

Case Closed?

[jks812]

I agree with Sadler too. And I also don't believe Roush would take a lie detector test either.

[Phils20]

Originally Posted by jks812

I agree with Sadler too. And I also don't believe Roush would take a lie detector test either.

Kind of like the Baseball player that said they would submit to a test???

I don't see it either.

But I also bet the Jack wouldn't be the one that made the call to do it! Actually, I'm very doubtful that Jack would "tell" anyone to do it!

[BiscuitMan]

To Quote Dale Jr. "I applaud them for being creative and that’s how we got to where we are today because guys are creative to find ways to get an advantage. That’s what makes our cars drive better, drive faster."

He's realistic. I agree with him. And, just maybe the Rouse creativity will spread to other teams.

[loco4pablo]

jack, remember..... it's not a lie if you believe it!

[Racer Duck]

I have always said there should be different penalties for pre-race inspection infractions than for post race inspection infractions. When you start making the post-race penalties enough that it significantly hurts their championship aspirations, there'll be fewer of them .. right away!

[oncea3fan]

I likie the idea of double fines for post race inspection. as long has it is something that passed pre-race inspection and was then changed.

[BiscuitMan]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

I have always said there should be different penalties for pre-race inspection infractions than for post race inspection infractions. When you start making the post-race penalties enough that it significantly hurts their championship aspirations, there'll be fewer of them .. right away!

If NASCAR disqualifies the car at a pre-race inspection, then why doesn't NASCAR disqualify the car at a post-race inspection. That's what they did in their very first race. Take away all the points and money earned from that race. Then, only real good cheating will exist.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by BiscuitMan

If NASCAR disqualifies the car at a pre-race inspection, then why doesn't NASCAR disqualify the car at a post-race inspection. That's what they did in their very first race. Take away all the points and money earned from that race. Then, only real good cheating will exist.

Good Cheating ??? Kind of an oxymoron !

[wingkey1]

Within pretty much every driver response there's an element of the response to the person posing the question that is:

Yo! Dumbell. What sport you been watching over its history? Venting air in manner similar to this is a known and everyone has and will continue to seek ways to do so within that which is allowed. While this more recent "approach" in its execution may be, comparatively speaking, a bit extreme or stretching the bounds, it ain't nothing new. Get over it.

****************************

There are periods of time we wonder why the win was allowed to stand. Best guess is that there is no absolute proof/evidence that the lid popping was an arranged event (i.e. taking advantage of vibration), or wrenched off by someone during the event.

Hey. Wonder if maybe the tire aimed at the camera person and the associated bumping of same person by the tire catcher was not ensuring the removal of the lid by a member of the crew did not make it to film? Hmmmm - There went recorded evidence of some real wrongdoing.

[BiscuitMan]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Good Cheating ??? Kind of an oxymoron !

Real good cheating! That's when a car is so fast no body can catch him (or her).

Smart racers know the rules and exploit the areas outside the rules. Or, in some cases, right on the edge of the rule.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by wingkey1

Within pretty much every driver response there's an element of the response to the person posing the question that is:

Yo! Dumbell. What sport you been watching over its history? Venting air in manner similar to this is a known and everyone has and will continue to seek ways to do so within that which is allowed. While this more recent "approach" in its execution may be, comparatively speaking, a bit extreme or stretching the bounds, it ain't nothing new. Get over it.

****************************

There are periods of time we wonder why the win was allowed to stand. Best guess is that there is no absolute proof/evidence that the lid popping was an arranged event (i.e. taking advantage of vibration), or wrenched off by someone during the event.

Hey. Wonder if maybe the tire aimed at the camera person and the associated bumping of same person by the tire catcher was not ensuring the removal of the lid by a member of the crew did not make it to film? Hmmmm - There went recorded evidence of some real wrongdoing.

I'm getting tickled over all the discussion of this incident. anybody who wants can find a bolt just about anyplace -examine it, then try to imagine how it would "fail". If it came "unscrewed" it didn't fail, the crew person who installed it failed. If it ripped the threads off either itself or the threaded receptical (nut or whatever), it is again the crew person's fault for overtightening it. BUT if it broke in two, either it was defective or subjected to more stress than it's rated for.

however, oil tank container covers aren't secured with "a" bolt, but rather a minimum of 2, and probably at least 4 bolts. (the one on my race car has 4 Dzus fastners instead of bolts.) so one bolt failing would not allow the cover to come off .. all of them have to fail!!! now, what's the likelihood of that happening?

[wingkey1]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

I'm getting tickled over all the discussion of this incident. anybody who wants can find a bolt just about anyplace -examine it, then try to imagine how it would "fail". If it came "unscrewed" it didn't fail, the crew person who installed it failed. If it ripped the threads off either itself or the threaded receptical (nut or whatever), it is again the crew person's fault for overtightening it. BUT if it broke in two, either it was defective or subjected to more stress than it's rated for.

however, oil tank container covers aren't secured with "a" bolt, but rather a minimum of 2, and probably at least 4 bolts. (the one on my race car has 4 Dzus fastners instead of bolts.) so one bolt failing would not allow the cover to come off .. all of them have to fail!!! now, what's the likelihood of that happening?

Yeah really! No wonder none of the drivers are surprised by this event possibly/likely being a "helped" event.

SOOOoooo -- seems you might be close to seeing the potential in/for the conspiracy theory around the tire and the cameraman ----

"Hey. Wonder if maybe the tire aimed at the camera person and the associated bumping of same person by the tire catcher was not ensuring the removal of the lid by a member of the crew did not make it to film? Hmmmm - There went recorded evidence of some real wrongdoing."

Gotta wonder where the new/next venting path is currently being searched for and implemented?