1) The ax has fallen on Hendrick Motorsports or, given it was the exact same penalty given to Tony Eury Jr., was it only a rubber mallet, designed to bruise but not really cause any damage?
Dave Rodman: At the risk of being ignorant or naive, I’ll say it was far less than I expected. Ignorant or naive comes from my thinking this was a far more willful attempt at circumventing the spirit, if not the outright intent of the rules.
Raygan Swan: NASCAR is being fair with their penalties — well, until Kurt Busch was involved. I think his penalty for nearly taking out a crewman was a bit light.
Joe Menzer: I think NASCAR did the only thing NASCAR could do. If the penalty was less than what the 8 got, it would look like they are pandering to Hendrick. More; and it looks like they are trying to even the playing field.
Raygan Swan: Joe, I agree and it adds a little something to the competition — as artificial as it may be.
Dave Rodman: Huh? They ARE trying to even the playing field.
Joe Menzer: I meant points-wise, sort of like throwing a debris caution on the season to tighten up the field. Obviously they are trying to level the field competition-wise, as they should. They don’t want ANYONE messing with their precious Car of Tomorrow — and they shouldn’t.
Dave Rodman: But if they were trying to send a message, well, I think it was a dismal failure.
Raygan Swan: What I want to know is just how much Chad Knaus has cost Hendrick Motorsports in his career. He’s working on a major three-of-a-kind.
Joe Menzer: So Rodman, you are saying they got off light — that rather than a mallet bruise, so to speak, you wanted them to swing an ax and cut their heads off? Do they really deserve to have their heads handed to them over this? I don’t think so.
Dave Rodman: Well, I guess death penalty references were way too harsh — but I think in terms of a solid effect, it lacked it.
Joe Menzer: I disagree. These are major penalties, as were the ones to the 8. You can’t wreck their entire seasons just because of one race where they ran into infractions.
Dave Rodman: They didn’t run into them, they created them. They specifically and intentionally warped the rules trying to get an advantage, and that should not have been taken lightly.
Joe Menzer: And remember, they now still have to overcome losing their crew chiefs for six weeks. That’s the biggest dual blow to these teams.
Dave Rodman: If you want to make an impact, make it a 10-race suspension. Right up to the Chase. As it is, Jimmie Johnson might be on the verge of a breakdown — since he said he was already freaking out about points.
Joe Menzer: Geez, this whole sport is run in a gray area about 90 percent of the time. Are you kidding me? Ten races would have been too many.
Raygan Swan: No, they don’t deserve to have their heads cut off, but evidently the intent was there and we are talking about Chad Knaus. Besides, it doesn’t matter if J.J. doesn’t have Chad, he still wins races and still wins championships.
Joe Menzer: Well, this will be the longest stretch he hasn’t had him in a while.
Raygan Swan: I agree and I think the punishment was fitting and really isn’t going to hurt these competitors, they are too freaking dominant.
Dave Rodman: I don’t buy them “thinking” it was a gray area, either. Either go to the R&D center or have an inspector come to the shop — ask a specific question about what you want to do and save yourself all the trouble — and potential penalties.
Raygan Swan: Word Roadman, you tell ‘em brutha!
Joe Menzer: Let me ask you guys something: Why, back in the day was it kind of, um, cool when Junior Johnson would try to bend the rules, which he did virtually every week, and now it’s considered so darn severe?
Dave Rodman: Well, the deal is, bending the rules is a NASCAR tradition. I’m not saying NASCAR is trying to add “cheating” to the list that includes “North Wilkesboro,” “Rockingham,” “Southern 500″ and “Occoneechee Speedway,” but these penalties do make you think twice.
Raygan Swan: I bet Gordon went home and played with his baby and didn’t give it a second thought. ‘Oh Ella, they think 100 points will faze my lead, goo goo gaa gaa!’
Joe Menzer: It’s part of the fabric of the sport, to try to get around the rules a little bit. And if you get caught, well, you pay this price. This is certainly a bigger price than teams had to pay in the past.
Dave Rodman: I wish someone had asked them in the media briefing at Sonoma whose idea it was?
Raygan Swan: Chad, duh! He’s the pro.
Dave Rodman: Chad and Stevie should have looked at Doug Duchardt and said, “It was him!”
Raygan Swan: I’m picking on Chad today because he’s not talking about the issue and I don’t think that is right.
Joe Menzer: Um, Roadman, weren’t you on the road at Sonoma? Why didn’t you ask the question?
By NASCAR.COM
June 28, 2007
02:47 PM EDT
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