[Team Yates]

#48 and #5 cars 'too close' in tolerances at R&D center? UPDATE: Claire B. Lang reported on Sirius Satellite NASCAR Radio Channel 128 "Dialed In" show Thursday night that the #48 and #5 Chevy's teams of Hendrick Motorsports were told they cars were too close to NASCAR tolerances at the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, NC this week. The cars were taken to the R&D Center after Jimmie Johnson won the Sprint Cup race at Dover in the #48 with Mark Martin finishing 2nd in the #5 Chevy. Lang says she heard the teams were told not to bring the cars back to the track. Lang asked NASCAR if this was true and was told: "The 48 and 5 were brought back to the R&D center. We've been doing this since the inception of the new car as a part of routine post-race inspection. We bring the winner and a random pick back to the R&D center after each event. While both cars passed post race inspection, we informed the 48 and 5 they were extremely close on some of the tolerances."(10-1-2009)
UPDATE Word circulated Wednesday night that NASCAR had found issues with the #48 Chevy as well as the #5 Chevy during inspection at the Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. The two Hendrick Motorsports teams currently sit atop the points standings. The buzz within the NASCAR community suggests that the offset on the tail, which helps the rear of the car stick to the ground instead of spinning out, of the #5 Kellogg's Chevy just made the tolerance. NASCAR allows a tolerance of 0.070 of an inch for the body off of the center line of the car. Suffice it to say, JJ's #48 car didn't make it. But by how much? NASCAR claims it was .006 over the tolerance. That's about the thickness of two sheets of copier paper. Others in the garage hint at a charitable disposition on the part of the sanctioning body. So how did NASCAR view the situation with the Hendrick cars? "The 48 and 5 were brought back to the (Research and Development Center)," according to a NASCAR statement. "We've been doing this since the inception of the new car as a part of routine post-race inspection. We bring the winner and a random pick back to the R&D Center after each event. While both cars passed postrace inspection, we informed the 48 and 5 they were extremely close on some of the tolerances."(in part from FoxSports)(10-2-2009)

CHEATER HENDRICKS!! Nothing new!!

[Quality88]

Okay Marks made it, just barely, but it made it and it was legal. JJ's didn't, regardless of how much it didn't it wasn't legal.

Any takers that if it wasn't JJ's car, say maybe Kahnes or Busch's, NA$CAR would be handing down atleast 150 point deduction by this point.

[HendrickMoto]

You just have to love what Cheatin' Chad can pull. Any ideas on what (if any) punishment towards the 48 can come out of this?

[Team Yates]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Okay Marks made it, just barely, but it made it and it was legal. JJ's didn't, regardless of how much it didn't it wasn't legal.

Any takers that if it wasn't JJ's car, say maybe Kahnes or Busch's, NA$CAR would be handing down at least 150 point deduction by this point.

I agree with you 10,000%, best case in point would be what they did to Carl Long!!

Originally Posted by HendrickMoto

You just have to love what Cheatin' Chad can pull. Any ideas on what (if any) punishment towards the 48 can come out of this?

They ought to be banished from the sport. If I had kids I certainly wouldn't want them to "look up" to them as "heroes", or to see the message that I see: it's ok to cheat!! In my opinion, I don't think that somebody who is cheating should be the champion in any sport or business. But then maybe that is why I am an ordinary, average Joe with an ordinary average job. I can't stand Hendricks teams or their cheating ways!! As far as I'm concerned that is another reason why their T.V. ratings are down and seats aren't full.

[jks812]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Okay Marks made it, just barely, but it made it and it was legal. JJ's didn't, regardless of how much it didn't it wasn't legal.

Any takers that if it wasn't JJ's car, say maybe Kahnes or Busch's, NA$CAR would be handing down atleast 150 point deduction by this point.

Yes they would. Even though Mark's made it, if his had been Kahne's or Busch's they would probably have been penalized.
Carl Long's engine was to big by how much? I've forgotten, but they said it wasn't enough to make a difference and look what they did to him.

[Robertdjr]

Originally Posted by Team Yates

They ought to be banished from the sport. If I had kids I certainly wouldn't want them to "look up" to them as "heroes", or to see the message that I see: it's ok to cheat!! In my opinion, I don't think that somebody who is cheating should be the champion in any sport or business. But then maybe that is why I am an ordinary, average Joe with an ordinary average job. I can't stand Hendricks teams or their cheating ways!! As far as I'm concerned that is another reason why their T.V. ratings are down and seats aren't full.

Apparently, the force of the Dark Side is still as strong as ever

[Lefturn]

I appreciate that the teams are going as far as they can in terms of tolerances. What I don't understand is that JJ passed post race inspection yet at the R&D center he was six one thousands out. So, did the wing move after postrace? Could it have come from pushing it into the hauler?

I agree that if it is over he needs to be penalized. The usual 10 grand and 150 points 'actions detrimental to the sport' blah blah blah.

Let's see Pemberton spin this one so that NASCAR doesn't look bad.

[mike honcho]

Originally Posted by Lefturn

So, did the wing move after postrace? Could it have come from pushing it into the hauler?

I don't think it was just the wing.Sounds like the whole back half the car was off.

NASCAR allows a tolerance of 0.070 of an inch for the body off of the center line of the car. Suffice it to say, JJ's #48 car didn't make it.

[HendrickMoto]

When will we find out if/when the 48 team will get a penalty, and if they do, will we still find out on Tuesday? Or are they already off the hook with a warning?

[Robertdjr]

Originally Posted by HendrickMoto

When will we find out if/when the 48 team will get a penalty, and if they do, will we still find out on Tuesday? Or are they already off the hook with a warning?

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- NASCAR has warned Hendrick Motorsports that the cars of Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin came very close to failing post-race inspection following their 1-2 finish at Dover last week.

The two Chevrolets owned by Hendrick Motorsports came within less than an inch of surpassing the tolerated measurements on the body of their cars. Martin is currently leading the Sprint Cup Series point points, and three-time defending series champion Johnson is second.

The crew chiefs for both drivers say they weren't cheating, and in-race damage may have caused the cars to creep toward the maximum allowances.

NASCAR is not penalizing either team, but they have been warned.

NASCAR.COM - Martin, Johnson teams get warning after inspections - Oct 2, 2009


As Jethro Tull once sang, "Skating away on the thin ice of a new day"

[mike honcho]

That's BULL they report the 48 failed now he just gets a warning.Stick me with a fork I'm done.I'll still watch but only when nothing else is on.

[Phils20]

Wow, warned! What happened to "zero Tolerance". What a joke...

[Team Yates]

Originally Posted by Phils20

Wow, warned! What happened to "zero Tolerance". What a joke...

Phils, that doesn't apply to Hendricks!!


Check out this link:
Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus Are Up to It Again | Bleacher Report

Two stories!!

[Phils20]

Thanks for sharing those. I didn't give it much thought when I walked by the car in the still and saw it covered. I did see them putting the template on it, but again, nothing odd seemed to be happening.

[Bob Tanner]

Here's another perspective from lee Spencer at NA__AR on FOX. It says, in part:
NASCAR allows a tolerance of 0.070 of an inch for the body off of the center line of the car. Suffice it to say, it appears Knaus pushed the limits again. But by how much? NASCAR claims it was .006 over the tolerance. That's about the thickness of two sheets of copier paper. Others in the garage hint at a charitable disposition on the part of the sanctioning body.

"You can get through inspection with quite a lot," said a crew chief who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "You can skew the grid. Back at the tech center is a whole different deal. You're busted. There's no way around it. So you just don't do it. It just seems weird that two cars from Hendrick Motorsports were questionable. If it had been me, I would have been suspended for six weeks."

But Knaus escapes with a warning.

The whole things is at: Hendrick avoids penalty despite inspection issue - NASCAR News - FOX Sports on MSN

I guess with every five or ten wins Hendrick gets another "Get Out of Jail Card?"