Bad Day At JGR; Fines All Over

((HT: NASCAR/nascar.com))

From the NASCAR folks their ownselves...

NASCAR announced today that the No. 11, No. 18 and No. 20 teams that compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have been penalized for rules violations discovered during opening day inspection June 17 at Michigan International Speedway.

All three of the Joe Gibbs Racing cars were found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in an event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the NASCAR rule book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20-5.5.4A (oil pan, failure to submit component) of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.

As a result, the three crew chiefs – Mike Ford (No. 11 car), Dave Rogers (No. 18 car) and Greg Zipadelli (No. 20 car) have been fined $50,000 each and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. In addition, all three car chiefs – Chris Gillin (No. 11 car), Wesley Sherrill (No. 18 car) and Jason Shapiro (No. 20 car) along with Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Jimmy Makar have been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.

Here's the issues with the Logano Machine during practice at MIS
((HT: NASCAR on SPEED/youtube))

Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Parks #8

Help Wanted/Sponsors!!!
Now, if not sooner, please...
Please apply to Aric Almirola's last known address...

((HT: David Newton/four-letter))

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing president Steve Lauletta is optimistic the No. 8 car made famous by Dale Earnhardt Jr. will return to the track one day, but not until sponsorship is found.

Lauletta confirmed on Wednesday an ESPN.com report that operations for the car driven by Aric Almirola has been suspended until sponsorship is found. Lauletta would not confirm how many employees were released, but sources said the total would be between 40 and 50.

"The plan was to run the 8 all season," Lauletta said. "We worked really hard to get a few sponsors. We're working really hard to continue to get it back on the track.

"But when you're in the position we're in where you don't know what sponsor goes on a car a couple of weeks out, how the team is going to progress in order to race two and three weeks out, it takes a lot of focus away from everybody at the shop."

Lauletta said those things have been a distraction even for the No. 42 team of Juan Pablo Montoya, which is 13th in points.

"Now that we've had to make this decision, the focus in the entire shop will settle down and get back to being on the 42 and 1 [Martin Truex Jr. ]," he said.

Almirola ranks 37th in owner points heading into next week's race at Phoenix International Raceway. He is 59 points behind rookie Joey Logano, who occupies the final spot for the top 35 guaranteed a position in each race.

Almirola has an average finish of 32.9 this season, finishing no better than 21st in seven races and no better than 33rd the past three.

((Here's Amirola's reaction, thanks NASCAR.com))

Through the first seven races of the season, the team had picked up single-race sponsorship from video game Guitar Hero (four races total), portable GPS maker TomTom (one race), outdoor equipment maker Cub Cadet (one) and Champion Apparel (one).

Parking that car leaves EGR with two full-time drivers in Truex Jr. and Montoya. Sources deny a report that Truex has a clause in his contract that would free him and primary sponsor Bass Pro Shops if he doesn't have at least two full-time teammates.

This flies in opposite a Lee Spencer-Fox Sports report from April 4that had Truex opting out of his deal with EGR and taking over for Joey Logano at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Truex's contract states that he must have two teammates or he can leave the team. Bass Pro Shops has a performance clause and with Truex 28th in owner points, the No. 1 team is in a precarious position. Finally, Chevrolet can alter its support to EGR if three teams are not under the roof.

The hot rumor at Martinsville last week had Truex replacing Joey Logano in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota. Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs insisted Sunday and again by phone on Wednesday that "Joey's our guy."

"We haven't had any conversations with anyone," Gibbs said. "We'd like to have someone in line by summer time, but you have to sit down, look at what partner is available, what driver is available and who would be a good fit for the team.

"We had Hall of Fame last year and we don't have it now. So we have room for a fourth team. We'd love to have it."

Gibbs mentioned JGR's plans to run the No. 02 Farm Bureau Toyota to race later this season. An announcement was made in January that Farm Bureau Insurance was signed for six Cup races in 2009, including being the primary sponsor for two Cup races on Denny Hamlin's car at Darlington and Atlanta and on Logano's car at Martinsville. A fourth team will feature Farm Bureau as the title sponsor for the fall races at Lowe's Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway along with the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Gibbs did not believe Farm Bureau was committed to a level where it could expand as a full-time sponsor in 2010. But as far as potential drivers are concerned, Gibbs ended the conversation with "Who is available?" Brad Coleman and Almirola are the likely candidates with availability — after talent — being one of the top prerequisites.

If Truex's status suddenly changed, he would top many owners' wish lists. In three full years on the tour, the 28-year-old has not finished worse than 19th in owner points. His only Chase appearance came in 2007, but in his defense, there was quite a bit of turmoil surrounding Dale Earnhardt Inc. last year. It's understandable that he dropped to 15th in points in 2008.

Truex said on Friday that he's committed to staying the course.

"When I give someone my word by signing a contract, if they keep theirs and I keep my mind, there's no reason to ever think about doing anything else, obviously," Truex said. "Right now, my focus is on getting this car better and moving up in the points. We're back here where we shouldn't be. We've never been back this far before and we've had a tough start to the year.

"Right now, we're just focusing on making things better and turning things around and heading in the right direction."

But Truex reiterated that there is just one year left on his contract and the performance simply isn't there.

As for Bass Pro Shops, if Truex does leave. don't be surprised if the sponsor fills out Ryan Newman's program on the No. 39 Chevrolet at Stewart-Haas Racing. That deal, which is valued between $8 million and $10 million, could go down before summer.

Kyle Busch - Turning The Thing Around

Kyle Busch loves how the 2009 NASCAR season has started. Busch drove his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota across the finish line first in the second Gatorade Duel at Daytona International Speedway Thursday, a much needed win.

"It felt really good," Busch said. "This whole team has really worked hard. This whole offseason everybody has. From where we ended last year, it felt like it was pretty cool to start off the season this way."

Where Busch ended last year was in free fall. After winning 7 Sprint Cup races before the Chase began, Busch was in great position to capture his first Spring Cup championship leading the points race heading into the Chase. Instead the number 18 Toyota broke down and Busch ended up finishing 34th in a 43 car field. After that Busch and his JGR team couldn't recover.

"We left the championship out there, that's for sure." Busch said. "(The) car fell apart in the last 10 races, and you can't have that. We made the Chase but we wanted to run well in the Chase, contend and be there for the championship, which we weren't able to do at the end of the year."

Busch doesn't feel 2008 was a failure and believes his #18 JGR Toyota can contend for the championship this season. I would say with the Duel win, he's off to a great start.

There is a tendency to beat yourself up when things didn't go your way. 2008 is history for Kyle Busch, time to focus on 2009. Part of the maturing of Busch is that he is realizing this and he and the team are keeping their expectations more realistic.

"I'm not as optimistic as I was... The season didn't end on a note that we really wanted it to." Busch said. "Losing isn't fun but you have to learn to deal wit it better. You've got to learn that every day isn't your day but you can make the most of losing sometimes and try to turn it around and win the next week."

Thursday the sweet taste of victory returned to Kyle Busch. After getting his butt kicked in the 2008 Chase it looks as if Kyle Busch is ready to kick butt this NASCAR season.

Photo Courtesy: Geoff Burke/Getty Images

Here's the finish of the 2nd Gatorade Dual at Daytona (Thanks Speed)

Joe Gibbs Racing Wins (?) One...

JGR wanted NASCAR to look at the penalties assessed for placing magnetic spacers under the gas pedals a while back in order to mess with the dyno testing after the Michigan race. JGR drivers Joey Logano ((pictured, thanks nascar.com)) and Tony Stewart caught all sorts of holy hell over this one...

JGR appealed their probations and involvement...
The appeal process is o-vuh...
The end ruling from NASCAR... ahem... quote...

"...On September 3, 2008, the National Stock Car Racing Commission heard and considered the appeal of Joe Gibbs Racing. The appeal concerned two penalties issued by NASCAR to drivers Tony Stewart and Joey Logano.

Briefly, the penalties concern Section 12-4-A of the NASCAR Rule Book “Actions detrimental to stock car racing,” Section 8-9 Competitive Analysis – From time to time, NASCAR may determine, in the interest of competition that it is necessary or appropriate to undertake an analysis of the performance capabilities of a car, car part, component or equipment. The Competitor shall take whatever steps are requested by NASCAR Officials for this purpose. NASCAR also has the right to seal or impound cars, car parts, components and/or equipment for this purpose. NASCAR is not responsible for payment, reimbursement, damage or loss to the Competitor as a result of such analysis, sealing or impounding,” Section 12-4-Q (1) “Any determination by NASCAR Officials that a car, car component, engine, engine component, or any other part or related equipment used in the Event does not conform to NASCAR Rules, detailed in Section 20A of the Rule Book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the Event, or is not required for the normal functional operation of the race car, or has been altered to detract from or compromise its integrity or effectiveness, whether operational or not,” and Section 12-4-K “When NASCAR Officials mandate inspection during the Event, if any car, car parts, components, and/or equipment which have been used in the Event are taken from the racing premises without permission of a NASCAR Official, or are tampered with by any member of the team or anyone associated with the team: Magnetic spacer attached under the gas pedal with the intent of compromising the chassis dyno test.

This stemmed from post-race inspection for a NASCAR Nationwide Series Event held at Michigan International Speedway on August 16, 2008.

The penalties assessed against each driver were:

-a loss of 150 NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship Driver points, and probation until Dec 31, 2008.

Records indicate that others, including the car owners, crew chiefs and team members also received penalties for these same infractions. However, the Appellants specifically requested that the Commission review the probation portion of the driver penalties only. The Appellants also requested and were granted a deferral of the driver probation portions of the penalties until this hearing could be convened.

After reviewing the testimony presented during the hearing, the National Stock Car Racing Commission unanimously decided to amend the penalties assessed by NASCAR, removing the probation portions of both driver penalties, while leaving the Championship Driver points portions intact."

Buddy Baker
Jim Williams
George Silbermann, Chairman

Short version: Logano and Stewart are no longer probies in the Nationwide Series. Everyone else is still in trouble...

Carry on...

Putting The Medal To The Pedal Is A Bad Idea

Busy day in NASCAR... Bad day for Joe Gibbs Racing...
He is pictured ((thanks, nascar.com)) and he is not a happy man...

The short version- Both Tony Stewart and Joey Logano's Nationwide Series cars were found to have magnets on the bottom of the gas pedals of both cars to mess with the dyno test procedures during testing at Michigan International Speedway. They're both out 150 points. Gibbs is out 150 owners points.

JD Gibbs has suspended both crew chiefs, Dave Rogers and Jason Ratcliff respectively, for the remainder of the 2008 season, and seven crew members have been indefinitely suspended.

From Joe Gibbs, ahem... quote...

"We had come to the conclusion that we would add to any NASCAR imposed penalties with the minimum being suspension for the remainder of the season for those involved, including our two Nationwide Series crew chiefs. There will also be an additional monetary fine beyond the amount announced by NASCAR earlier today, which will be the responsibility of those involved."

The gory details are hyah

And that's not all...

Just as Ganassi Racing is trying to re-sign Reed Sorenson to the #41 car for another contract, his crew chief Donnie Wingo has been fined $25,000 for "actions detrimental to NASCAR." Apparently, Wingo "improperly attached a weight" at Michigan as well.

Whoops... wasn't that why NASCAR brought in Robin Pemberton as their Competition Director in the first place...? To detect these kinds of things...

Remember... it's the pedal on the right...
And some cars were made to do things others were not...