Is It Enough?

            July 3, Chico, CA--- Crew Chief suspensions, does it really matter? NASCAR has put this form of punishment into play many times this year, and in the years past, but does it really make any difference? It must not; Jimmie Johnson lost Chad Knaus for the first four races last season. He won two of them and finished second and sixth in the other two. Johnson also won his first Cup title. Oh and I think he was told to go to his room! Oh yeah, then there's the $100,000 fine. For most of us, that would be it, but not for these race teams. Heck, Hendricks most likely walked up to the white Nextel trailer and paid it in 50’s and 100’s straight from his pocket.

            The points, that’s it, right? Let’s take points away, well let’s see Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, both have wins this year, and are in the top 5, and the chance of them missing the chase are very, very slim. Gordon is leading way ahead of the other drivers, so he can gamble, and “cheat”. Oh wait. Sorry not cheat--- its called “bending the rules” or “it's pushing the envelope and trying to gain an advantage.” Whatever you want to call it. 

So when it happens NASCAR points its finger at the drivers and teams and says “Bad race team! That’s a no-no! You know better, now go play nice” and the drivers and teams walk away with their head down, and get on with their races. Then the media talks about how hard the points will hurt the team, and how NASCAR won’t tolerate rule violators. Then a few weeks later it starts again! 

So what should happen to a “rules violator” that does it over and over again? Chad Knaus has had the day off with pay many times the last 2 years. As I heard writer David Poole say “suspended with pay. Man that’s what most Americans should strive for!” The term “suspended for 6 races” is not what it really means. Many times suspended crew chiefs are still making calls in the race that they should not be at. Knaus was at a hotel room near the track making pit calls during the race at Daytona last year, from a cell phone. Tony Eury Jr. was suspended for 6 races, that’s appears to be the “magic number”, but was still making calls last Sunday at Loudon for Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

Does it really matter to have the crew chief sit out the race? NASCAR can't stop them from buying a ticket, they cant stop them from calling from a cell phone; so what to do? 

Should NASCAR make DRIVERS sit out? Well that would make a huge impact. Sponsors would now be involved. Do you think those fenders on the #24 and #48 would have been pulled out if they knew that NASCAR would tell Gordon and Johnson to sit out a race? Sponsors would have a say to a move like that, and that would affect the REAL MONEY. Points would be a bigger hit, and the fans, oh my, the fans would have a fit! Can you imagine what they would do if Dale JR had to sit out a race because of a rules violation? Budweiser cans would be everywhere! 

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, NASCAR has said that they plan on addressing the act of crew chiefs still doing there job away from the track. NASCAR chairman Brian France said “that insults the integrity of the penalty”

"We just had a meeting about that," France said during a Tuesday afternoon conference call. "We will be, if that all is accurate, addressing that shortly." He did not say what NASCAR would possible do at this time. Could they be willing to make the #24 and #48 an example? With Daytona coming this weekend, will this statement affect the Hendricks team? France did say that suspended a driver may be something they are willing to do.  

"We'd like not to get to [suspending drivers]," he said. "We'd like to make the deterrent, a portion of the penalty, significant enough that that isn't necessary for us to do. But are we willing to go there? Of course we would. We have in the past and we will in the future. We're not hoping to do that. That's sort of a death penalty." France said.  

NASCAR is doing what it can to try and make these teams play be the rules. Some fans may say that it’s not always fair, but that’s the way it goes. They can’t take 200 points from one driver and 100 from another just because he has a bigger lead. Having a driver sit out, now that will turn some heads in the garage. With the new Car Of Tomorrow there will be no “gray area”. Its either right or it’s wrong.

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 Runkle has worked for Causey Motorsports in Hampton, Va. for 4 years, was a part-time Crew Chief for Rette Causey,  driver of #33 INEX/Legends car in 2005 at Langley Speedway in Virginia, as well as being a crew member for Brad Causey in Grand Stock division at Langley Speedway.  He's currently the webmaster of CauseyRacing.com.

Runkle has been racing "online" for about 5 years, served in the US Navy as a Gunners Mate in the Navy Seabees and is currently living in Chico, Ca. in the beautiful North Valley of California, with his wife Kristina. God Bless all of the troops serving around the world!

For any question, comments, complaints, or just to say “Hi” please feel free to email him at Runksix3@gmail.com. Don welcomes anything you have to say and he will get back to you. If you have something you would like for Don to cover, let him know.  And as always, thanks for reading his column.