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NASCAR suspends 7 JGR Nationwide crewmen; team won't appeal

By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Article Rating: 4.2
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Jason Smith / Getty Images

Jason Smith / Getty Images

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NASCAR has indefinitely suspended seven Joe Gibbs Racing crewmen for attempting to manipulate the horsepower results during a test following the Nationwide Series race Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
 
NASCAR suspended the No. 20 Nationwide Series team crew chief Dave Rogers, car chief Richard Bray and engine tuner Dan Bajek as well as No. 18 team crew chief Jason Ratcliff, car chief Dorian Thorsen, engine tuner Michael Johnson and crew member Toby Bigelow.
 
Ratcliff and Rogers also were fined $50,000. The teams were penalized 150 points in the owners standings and drivers Joey Logano and Tony Stewart also were penalized 150 points. The entire JGR Nationwide teams were put on probation through the end of the season.

JGR will not appeal the penalties.

“We take full responsibility and accept the penalties NASCAR has levied against us today," team owner Joe Gibbs said in a statement. "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.
 
“We are, however, disappointed that NASCAR chose to place our drivers on probation, as they had no knowledge or involvement of this incident."
 
According to NASCAR, the Gibbs teams attached a magnetic spacer under the gas pedals to keep the No. 18 and No. 20 cars from becoming fully engaged when the car was put on the chassis dynamometer following the race. NASCAR uses those numbers to help determine whether it needs to change any rules to keep a competitive balance.

“In 17 years we have never had any representative of Joe Gibbs Racing knowingly act outside of NASCAR’s rules, and that is something we consider essential to how we operate on a daily basis," Gibbs said in the statement. "What we have determined is that these individuals involved used extremely poor judgment in attempting to alter the results of NASCAR’s dyno test following Saturday’s Nationwide Series race in Michigan.  Although in no way was anything done that might have altered the race outcome, these JGR employees attempted to circumvent the NASCAR rule book and that is unacceptable."
 
NASCAR had made a rule change last month when it required the Toyota teams to use a spacer with smaller holes that its competitors. That cost the Toyota teams about 15 horsepower as less air flowed through the carburetor.
 
The JGR teams had won 13 of the first 21 races prior to the rules change. JGR won the first race after the rule was implemented but has not won in the last three.
 
Team president J.D. Gibbs apologized for his employees’ actions Sunday at Michigan.
 
The No. 20 remains the leader in the owners points by 168 over the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing team.
 
 

Average Rating: 4.2

Comments

57 responses to "NASCAR suspends 7 JGR Nationwide crewmen; team won't appeal"
  1. 1
    WILLIAM BORG said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 8:51 AM

    I don't think they went far enough. They should park both the cars for two races, and then force them to drive the cars with the magnet blocks installed during the races. They should also check the cup cars for the same infractions and put the magnets under the pedals on those cars also. They have got to be cheating there too.

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  2. 2
    L Koernig said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 8:54 AM

    OK... so NASCAR is so concerned about the cars in the Nationwide series being on par with each other. But what about Kyle Busch's Cup car? That car obviously has more horsepower than the rest of the field and yet nothing is being done there. Or is it just that the powers that be feel they need to ensure that Baby Shrub and Toyota win the championship so that the money streaming in from TRD doesn't dry up?

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  3. 3
    otis gleason said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 9:05 AM

    Those are the two most stupid statements on the subject I have seen, Are you guys little E fans ?

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  4. 4
    Angela Allen said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 9:10 AM

    It does make you wonder about Kyle's Cup car because he was in great equipment last year when Jimmie and Jeff were doing extremely well and he won what one race. It is not talent all of the time...then again amazingly the 8 car has not lost an engine yet this season so go figure. Controversy is good either way you look at it I guess.

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  5. 5
    Doris Townsend said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 9:20 AM

    I think Borg and Koernig's comments are very well put. I wonder if Gleason is a Toyota employee. This has to make people wonder about the cup cars as well, as if they had not already.

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  6. 6
    chris welch said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 9:25 AM

    if they are cheating in nationwide,they are cheating in cup, its that simple. angela is exactly right about busch. one win last year in the "best cars in the garage" and this year he is unstoppable. they have something figured out and its not legal. they wil get caught but we will never know about it because nascar doesnt want to have the image of champion who cheated to do it.

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  7. 7
    Worm Dirt said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 9:33 AM

    I agree with Otis. The hipocrisy on this subject is UNBELIEVABLE!!! Teams have been caught cheating all year in ways that AFFECTED THE RACE & the stiffest penelaties handed down were only crew-chief suspensions & fines! Now, for something that DID NOT even affect the outcome of the race, you want Nascar to go even further than they did and park the cars????? I'm confused! Actually, I STILL think that JGR should fine Nascar for changing the rules mid-season and CHEATING them out of their horsepower!!!!!

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  8. 8
    benzin totte said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 9:36 AM

    Benzin Totte I agree with all the comments nascar did not act strong enough, example busch has been driving the 18car since first of yr, also the fine of $thousands is like a nickel to these multiteams, I beleive that things were found in nationwide that were carried over to cup i also believe that nascar is not willing to act strong enough based on the economy

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  9. 9
    Race Reporter said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 9:53 AM

    I love the part about not affecting race outcome...isn't cheating to maintain greater horsepower affecting EVERY race outcome? And wasn't Jack Roush up in arms about unfair horsepower advance for the Toyotas in the Cup series? Hmmmm...

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  10. 10
    Sean Doyle said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 10:17 AM

    Help me understand this one. If JGR is cheating, how come the only team car doing well is the #18. Hamlin is barely holding on to a Chase spot and Smoke has yet to win this season. The Rowdy Busch hating is getting old. He's got tremendous skills and wins in anything you put him in. Busch is the best driver on the circuit this season NASCAR teams have been bending the rules and pushing the envelope since the sport was born. Wasn't it ole DW that once said, "If ya ain't cheatin', ya ain't tryin'"?

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  11. 11
    otis gleason said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 10:23 AM

    The basic engine package toyota uses was approverd last year when hendrick won 14 races,and waltrup couldent qualify.For those people that don't understand gibbs has the best engine builder in nascar,and last year buschs stuff was not the same as gordon ,johnson so get over it and by the way I worked for GM for 25 years CHRYSLER for ten. If you want america to produce the best product,This is the way it will happen,competition,Now for you idiots the japan has outsourced production to america .America chev,ford,chrysler,has been outsourced to mexico!

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  12. 12
    WILLIAM BORG said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 10:28 AM

    Why is it every time you express an opinion about somehting in Nascar like this, you automatically are assumed to be a "little E" ( I didn't think anyone called him that anymore) fan. I'm not and never have been a fan of his, but I will admit to being a fierce despisor of the shrub bros. Now you'll probably tell me that JD didn't know anything about this. yeah right!

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  13. 13
    chris welch said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 10:39 AM

    tony stewart was in position to win at least 4 races this year and denny hamlin as well. they just havent had the luck that busch has had to close the deal. if you watch the coverage, half the time those cars get beat through the corner but make up for it on the straightaway. and to say that busch didnt have the same stuff as gordon and johnson last year is ridiculous. having a more powerful engine than the rest of the field will make any driver appear superior. we'll see what happens when the competition catches up.

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  14. 14
    Flying Squirrel said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 10:46 AM

    Toyota/JGR was playing within the rules earlier this year & NASCAR deemed the TRD engine was producing too much horsepower. Yes the JGR guys cheated & should be fined as they were. But, why are race fans being cheated by NASCAR by not allowing engine builders/teams to maximize the technology available & build the best engine they can. Why not stop directing your anger at Toyota & figure out why all the good ol' engines from the rest of the teams can't produce more HP than a gerbil on wheel.

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  15. 15
    Chris Pontiff said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 10:56 AM

    WOW Carl Edward beat Kyle last week so I guess we should check his car also. I mean if Kyle is cheating in the cup series for someone to beat him they must be cheating as well. Don't you think? Give me a break. You people are ridiculous. What the 18 and 20 teams did didn't affect the outcome of the race. So you little e fans need to get over it and quit looking for reasons to throw the most dominate team out of the sport. How many other teams have been caught cheating since the beginning of this sport?

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  16. 16
    PB said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 12:01 PM

    The point is that Toyota only had an advantage manufactured by NASCAR not allowing the other manufactures to run an equivalent motor to the Toyotas.. And only did something to level things after the other Teams got very irate and vocal.. See my post above... The word that I got from people I know in the business and members of several Nationwide series crews was that there were rumors of Teams pulling their cars if NASCAR didn't do something by either allowing them to start using the newer motors as they ahd done with Toyota or level the playing field which is what NASCAR did...

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  17. 17
    anonymous said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM

    No Otis and Chris Pontiff, I am not a little E fan. Why do you assume everyone that comments on a Toyota article is a member of Jr. Nation. Are you really that narrow minded?? None of the comments above even mentioned Dale Jr. You are the ones that keep bringing his name into it. Wonder why?? He must weigh heaviliy on your mind.

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  18. 18
    Worm Dirt said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 12:02 PM

    Race Reporter, There's no specific limit on horsepower that teams are allowed to produce based on building their engines WITHIN the rules! If Nascar followed their own rules that THEY set before the begining of the season, then maybe teams could ACTUALLY TRUST NASCAR & wouldn't have to be afraid to reveal their horsepower to them. And excuse me if I laugh my a@$# off when you bring Jack Roush up to support your argument! Roush's #99 got caught red-handed cheating IN A RACE earlier this year BUT will deny it until the grave. At least, JGR is accepting responsibility for this and handling it with dignity despite all of the ignorant cheap shots.

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  19. 19
    PB said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 12:03 PM

    Otis, Childress has done the hard work and developed heads that that NASCAR refused to let them use, they have lobbied over and over again along with the other chevy teams to use the R07 and NASCAR flatly refuses to allow them to use it while instead they decided to restrict the Toyota.. What I have been told by very reliable resources is that they believe the reason is that head to head in the Nationwide series with the rules as they are the R07 develops more power than the Toyota with or without the new restrictions.. Also if you worked from GM and Chrysler for that long you must know that what is produced for the road has little or nothing to do with what makes it under the hood of arace car..

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  20. 20
    Mary Lou Harms said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 12:20 PM

    I sure hope that JGR finds the person/people that are actually responsible for this entire cheating. I really feel sorry for Joey Logano is is such a new driver. I don't feel that any team needs to cheat. Does the point loss affect Kyle Busch ratings? Mary

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  21. 21
    bonny mcghee said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 12:24 PM

    now lets get those jgr cup cars checked. because they are way too fast also. especially kyle busch's # 18 car.

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  22. 22
    George Rice said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 1:11 PM

    Here is my take..... I agree with Angela Allen last year Kyle was not all that..He must be chetin. I agre with Chris Welch, if they cheat in Nationwide they are cheatin in Cup... I agree with Otis Gleason Outsorceing to Mexico has failed us. I agree with PB. Owners can Park the cars. but will NASCAR blackball ya. I agree with Bonny Mcghee.. Check the JRG #18 every week.

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  23. 23
    red denney said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 1:45 PM

    If NASCAR wants a cookie cutter series they need to make it and IROC series.

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  24. 24
    Linda McFarland said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 1:57 PM

    Does anyone else think it is strange that at the last minute Joe Gibbs took Kyle out of the 18 car and put Joey in it for the Nationwide race and that this was Tony's last Nationwide race for JGR? I wonder if he did this because he didn't want Kyle to be the one that got penalized if they were caught.

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  25. 25
    Robert Wingert said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 2:29 PM

    If you say a word about JGR you are a Jr fan. What on earth does that have to do with placing magnets? They cheated and were caught and now they are paying the price. No one will view all their wins in the Nationwide series as being legitimate, except a worm or two. I don't forsee the 18 and 20 winning again this season.

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  26. 26
    Robert Wingert said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 2:33 PM

    A quote from Dave Rogers. “We’ve got a lot to learn,” Rogers said. “But that’s our goal. Somebody has kicked a sleeping dog. If you look at it, our Cup guys are doing pretty good on Sunday. That’s our big brother. And any time in life you pick on little brother, big brother gets mad. “Big brother is mad right now. And that’s usually good for us. We’ve just got to be smart and use that anger in a positive way. If we can do that, we can win more races.” I guess big brother thought of magnets to solve the problem.

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  27. 27
    Bob Stafford said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 3:09 PM

    Once a CHEATER always a CHEATER, once you tell LIES you always tell LIES, and jgr is a CHEAT and a LIER. You see where it got joe gibbs. He and Jimmy Swaggart are in the same amen corner with the rest of the LIERS and CHEATERS !!!!!

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  28. 28
    Danny Thomas said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 3:29 PM

    Chad Knaus caught cheating 5 times

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  29. 29
    Scott Baker said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 3:33 PM

    Wow, Bob that is pretty intense. You may have a religion phobia, maybe not. While they own the cars and employ the people that engineer, build, and maintain the cars, the owners simply do not know ALL that goes on with their cars. They may or may not have known. We will probably never know if JD or Joe knew. I still maintain, MASCAR could make it simple on all including NASCAR. Tell the teams, "build a gas engine with no more than 5.87 L, no turbos, use a 750 carbuerator" May the Best Team win.

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  30. 30
    Betty Reed said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 3:47 PM

    I am a Jr fan and proud of it. I really do not understand why some people have to put him in the middle of everything. I think Kyle is a good driver but we all know he is not as good as nascar tries to make him look. I agree if they cheat they cheat. Check the 18. Betty

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  31. 31
    Jessy Doyle said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 3:47 PM

    When NASCAR was changing every thing to atract new people to the sport, the old timers knew this was going to happen. The IQ of the NEW NASCAR GROUPIES is deep in the single diget range.

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  32. 32
    Danny Thomas said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 3:48 PM

    Mr. Hendrick choose to keep all who have been caught cheating on his teams and never took any responcibilty as the owner. However in 17 years Gibbs has not one blemish, and took full responcibilty. The difference is Hendrick is win no matter how you do it, buy one or steal one. Hendrick kept all his cheaters in tact, I'm sure some heads will role at JGR over this Hendrick tacted that he had no control over. JGR is a class act, an i'm a a Petty fan, we never win.

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  33. 33
    Bob Stafford said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 4:00 PM

    WOW, Scott jgr lied to the race fans all of last year about switching to Toyoto, but joe and jd were most likely not informed about that switch, now their employees were caught cheating. Poor joe and jd all they do is pay the bills. Scott who are you trying to fool? The gibbs hide behind religion and try to play goody goody when they are two faced LIERS and CHEATS. If that fact makes me have a religion phobia, I will wear it proudly!!!

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