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))

Joey Logano Does Not Like Kevin Harvick

And, apparently, Delana is the one that wears the "fire suit in the family" if you listen to Logano talk...

Late in the Pocono race, the 20 and 29 cars were heading to the same place on the race track and Harvick would not yield his position. Logano spins, the caution comes out, and Joey gets rather heated...

((HT: NASCAR.com/NASCAR on TNT))


Oh... Denny Hamlin won the race...

Joey Logano's Wild Ride

Jimmie Johnson cut in to Mark Martin's lead in the Sprint for the NEXTEL Cup title at Dover Sunday.

But Joey Logano's 7-and-a-quarter roll in Turn 2 took everyone by surprise...
Even Joey...

"It just goes to show how safe these cars are," Logano said.
Uh, yeah...
((HT: NASCAR Media/ESPN-ABC))

Logano Youngest To Win NASCAR Race

((HT: SpeedTV))

Here's your post and highlights from the race at Loudon.
Joey Logano wins a race to become the youngest ever at 19 years and change...

Carl Edwards Is The Man

According to a NASCARmedia.com poll, Carl Edwards is the favorite to dethrone 3 time Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson in 2009. Here are the results of the NASCAR media poll:

1. Carl Edwards

2. Jimmie Johnson

3. Kyle Busch

4. Jeff Gordon

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

6. Greg Biffle

7. Kevin Harvick

8. Mark Martin

9. Jeff Burton

10. Matt Kenseth

11. Denny Hamlin

12. Tony Stewart

"It's just great." Carl Edwards said. "What Jimmie has done is spectacular. For the media to say they think that I might be able to stop that, is pretty neat."

By the way, Joey Logano was picked to win the Rookie of the Year.

Photo Courtesy: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

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...