Joe Gibbs Racing will add one race to penalty if NASCAR reinstates crewmen
CONCORD, N.C. – Joe Gibbs Racing hopes to have currently suspended Dave Rogers and Jason Ratcliff resume their Nationwide Series crew chief roles in time for the second race of the 2009 season, which comes at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway.
For the organizaiton to do that, NASCAR would have to reinstate the crew chiefs prior to the start of the season, team president J.D. Gibbs said Tuesday night.
“When NASCAR officially says – which they haven’t – [that] it’s over, we’ll hold them one more race,” Gibbs said. “They haven’t said what they’re going to do. Hopefully they will say they’re reinstated for next year and we’ll probably hold them from Daytona.”
Rogers, Ratcliff and five other Joe Gibbs Racing crewmen were indefinitely suspended for manipulating the throttle of their cars prior to a test to determine their engine horsepower following the race in Michigan last August.
The team applied last week for their reinstatement, asking that it begin prior to the first race of the 2009 season.
“At this point there hasn’t been a decision that’s been made [on reinstatement],” NASCAR Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash said Tuesday.
Ratcliff will be the crew chief of the No. 18 car driven by Kyle Busch, while the No. 20 car with Rogers will be shared by drivers Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Brad Coleman.
