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Penalized crew chiefs issue apologies for actions at Michigan

By SceneDaily Staff

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Article Rating: 5.0
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Joe Gibbs Racing crew chiefs Jason Ratcliff and Dave Rogers have apologized for their Nationwide Series teams’ actions Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.
 
Both crew chiefs were among seven JGR employees indefinitely suspended by NASCAR for their cars found to have magnetic spacers underneath the gas pedal during chassis dynamometer testing following the race Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. The intent was to keep the engines from providing maximum horsepower. NASCAR uses those horsepower numbers to help determine whether to make rule changes for competitive balance.
 
The team issued a statement from the crew chiefs Wednesday evening.
 
“I apologize with great remorse for the actions that I took after the Michigan race last Saturday afternoon,” said Rogers, whose No. 20 team still leads the owner points standings by 168 despite a 150-point penalty as part of the NASCAR sanctions. “My apology is extended to NASCAR, the NASCAR officials, Joe and J.D. Gibbs, our drivers, all of JGR’s sponsors, and especially to all of the JGR family members that I have misrepresented.
 
“Joe and J.D. Gibbs trust me to lead this race team with honesty and integrity. I have failed them and feel great remorse for doing so. I accept the penalties imposed by NASCAR and Joe Gibbs Racing and make no excuses.”
 
The JGR teams have combined for 14 wins this year.
 
“First and foremost, I would like to apologize to the employees and partners of Joe Gibbs Racing,” Ratcliff said in his statement. “Because of poor decision making, I have failed you as the leader of this team and I am solely responsible for this situation.
 
“Secondly, I apologize to the men and women of NASCAR for my dishonesty and interference during a testing event. Going forward, I will work hard to regain the trust and respect that I once had with the fans, NASCAR and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, including our drivers, who had no knowledge or involvement in this transgression.”

Average Rating: 5.0

Comments

18 responses to "Penalized crew chiefs issue apologies for actions at Michigan"
  1. 1
    John Lockhart said:
    Aug 20, 2008 at 6:50 PM

    NASCAR has told these guys that cheating is not an option.And if they get caught,the fines will be steep.So why do they do something like this that's not worth the lost people,plus the money.

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  2. 2
    beth emerson said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 5:01 AM

    Love the comments made by those guys. their statments are as fake as can be they were written for them. I dont feel sorry for anything that happens to them. They all know what is going on. I also believe that Gibbs knows to. You have a cup crew dont tell me you dont know as an owner what is going on in the garage area. As a buisness man you know they know. As he often sais I am a hands on owner. Sometimes words do come back and bite you right Mr Gibbs.

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  3. 3
    sarah kearney said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 5:14 AM

    These guys get big pay checks, I feel sorry for their families, jobs are hard to come by, how can anybody so smart be so dumb? Why was not this discovered during the inspection process?

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  4. 4
    William Bartz said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 5:41 AM

    Blah, Blah, Blah! They're only sorry that they got caught. Who the hell do they think they're fooling? This line of garbage starts at the top. Joe Gibbs said repeatedly that they "made a mistake" BULL####! A mistake would would infer that was done UN-intentionaly. These teams intentionaly cheated. Gibbs has the two most arrogant, disrespectful drivers in the garage and now the team can't be trusted. JGR...slowly becoming the most hated team in NASCAR!

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  5. 5
    Carrie K said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 7:22 AM

    If JGR is cheating in the Nationwide Series, who says it has not been done in the Cup Series too? Spread a good little thing around there too?!?

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  6. 6
    anonymous said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 10:02 AM

    Cry me a freaking river!!! Commit the crime, do the time. Apology is as phony as a $3.00 bill.

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  7. 7
    Melissa b said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 12:42 PM

    While the crew chiefs may get fined, the crew members get fired and likely will never have a job in racing again. Is losing your career a penalty enough? And to Sarah, they were trying to prevent NASCAR from getting accurate dyno numbers AFTER the race by placing the magnet spacers, i.e. it wouldn't let the throttle go all the way down. That's why it wasn't caught during inspection. It was meant to REDUCE their horsepower. They didn't want NASCAR to know how much more horsepower they are actually generating over the Chevys, Fords, and Dodges. Do you get it now?

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  8. 8
    Don McMath said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 3:49 PM

    I believe everyone from the top down knew what was going on. That includes Toyota. Look what happened at Daytona in 2007. Toyota has the $ and Joe Gibbs has access to anything he wants to get a competitive advantage. They need to be looking at Cup and trucks also. Nascar wanted Toyota and now they have a problem with the advantage they gave Toyota with their engine design that makes Chevy, Ford and Dodge trying to catch up with outdated engines.

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  9. 9
    Anonymous said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 4:35 PM

    You guys are calling Joe Gibbs a liar? What planet do you live on?

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  10. 10
    Gladys Bedwell said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 9:44 PM

    Joe Gibbs is a Christian and word 'cheat' is not in his vocabulary and the statement's the crew chiefs made I believe are true and from the heart. I have always felt the JGR teams have been one of the most trustworthy teams out there. The crew chief I wouldn't trust and should keep a close eye on is Chad Knaus. He cheated in 2006, didn't learn his lesson, and did it again in 2007 and left poor Jimmie having to face the music.

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  11. 11
    Anonymous said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 9:44 PM

    They need to check out that 18 Cup car.....

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  12. 12
    Anonymous said:
    Aug 21, 2008 at 9:46 PM

    Gladys, what in the world does Chad Knaus have to do with this conversation.....beat a dead horse why don't you.....geeesh.....

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  13. 13
    Scott Baker said:
    Aug 22, 2008 at 5:44 AM

    These gentlemen make a good living, I'm quite certain they are very sorry. What their pay is during the suspension I would imagine is up to Gibbs. If you were suspended from your job for say, 4 weeks, would you be sorry and see the consequences of your actions in a different way? I think so, I know I certainly would.

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  14. 14
    said:
    Aug 22, 2008 at 6:31 AM

    You guys sound so stupid. And yes Chad Knaus has a lot to do with this. He has been caught cheating 3 times each time not much has been said about it six weeks he's back on the pit box. He is the worst cheater of them all and everytime i see him on Inside Nascar on monday nights it makes me sick. Not once but busted 3 times and he's still there. Could it be cause he works for HENDRICKS i think so.

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  15. 15
    said:
    Aug 22, 2008 at 6:37 AM

    SOUNDS LIKE A BIG BUNCH OF GRAPES TO ME. ALL YOU PEOPLE THAT TALK ABOUT GIBBS LIKE THE COMMITTED MURDER ARE JUST VENTING YOUR DISLIKE FOR THE TOYOTA. FESS UP TO IT WHEN THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY OTHER CREW CHIEFS BUSTED. I ALSO AGREE CHAD KNAUS SHOUD NOT EVEN BE THERE ANY MORE HE'S BEEN CAUGHT CHEATING SO MANY TIMES.

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  16. 16
    said:
    Aug 22, 2008 at 6:43 AM

    Check out the No 18 Why cause its Kyle Busch you people just can't stand it that Kyle is right now the best driver in Nascar. Every time i see him beat a Hendricks cars i love it. I really laughed when "jim" got taken out of the truck race and Kyle won. Go Kyle you got a raw deal at hendricks just like Casey has.

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  17. 17
    Christina Ellzey said:
    Aug 22, 2008 at 10:15 AM

    Let me start by saying I do dislike Toyota's and kyle (he wasn't in the car, but still...) NASCAR needs to take responsiblity for this mess they created with the unequal engines among manufacturers, and FIX it. There is too much money riding on the races to let one manuf. have an advantage for weeks on end. I also am sick to death of the never ending escillation of penalties. Like someone said, other crew chiefs have deserved much worse penalties for repeatedly cheating, but for what ever reason (Hendrick?) they got a slap and are still here. I feel sorry for the shmuck/team member that was suspended 'cause he followed orders and put the magnets there, but I am sure he will be taken care of by JD. Like DW said, there is and always will be cheating going on, this won't hurt anyone's career in the long run.

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  18. 18
    Rex Lee said:
    Aug 25, 2008 at 4:28 PM

    For the most part the Chad Knaus is a blatant cheat. Most of the times they where caught[at H.M.S.] cheating the same thing was going on with the #24 of Gordon & the #5 of Kyle Busch. It seems if Nascar wants parity it should treat the people caught cheating the same.Write a rule book and follow it.Besides anyone who knows racing will tell you, it's the teams job to cheat, and it's Nascars job to catch them.This time they caught J.G.R. How many other teams got away with something only the ones that did will know. The only thing differnt was Nascars reaction to the cheating. From the 60's to now, from the Pettys to Childress to the Gibbs. Only the Hendriechs have come away with the ole' slap on the wrist. But Nascar WILL turn its ugly side towards everybody at some point.

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