Pride of NASCAR: Junie Dunlavey (video)

NASCAR: Drivers won’t race with Mayfield (NASCAR appeal document linked)

Attorney: Mayfield can’t find sponsor

NASCAR’s Growing Twitter Mess

Mayfield case puts spotlight on NASCAR drug policy

Vintage Insiders

“We’re Close on a Sponsorship Deal.” Yeah, Sure You Are.

Aren’t The Playoffs Great?

 **Remember if you have a NASCAR blog or website and would like a recent article you wrote featured in this section email me and you could be part of next week’s NASCAR Week That Was. Please only send stuff you have written.**

Following the announcement by MWR and Truex, both Truex himself and MWR’s General Manager Ty Norris questioned the stability and the future of the EGR team.  The future of the Bass Pro Shops deal and how the GM bankruptcy will affect support being at the center of their barbs.

There was also a piece by FOXSports.com’s Lee Spencer about the situation and the outlook for EGR.  In it, she discusses a new company being formed by the DEI side called Earnhardt Technologies Group.  About this new venture she says:

ETG will provide a variety of engineering services to the racing community, including access to its seven-post shaker rig and pull down rigs, coordinate measuring for chassis geometry and data acquisition.

She then goes on to say that ETG could be the foundation for a future team and that she’s been told the Earnhardt/Ganassi partnership may not last beyond 2009.

While I don’t have specific knowledge of DEI’s plans for ETG, it would appear on the surface that this new company is more about creating a new revenue stream for DEI then it is about laying the foundation for a future team.  Isn’t the foundation really already there?

Before we do EGR a favor and end the team’s misery, lets take a look at the reality of the situation facing the team.

Currently EGR is running two full time Cup teams; the #1 for Truex and the #42 for Juan Pablo Montoya.  Entering this weekend’s race at Chicago, Montoya is sitting in the 11th position in points, is inside the Chase, and is 86 points ahead of 13th place Mark Martin.  He has yet to finish in the top five in a race this season, but he continues to have solid performances.  For more on Montoya’s solid season, see Journo’s post from Monday.

Truex is currently 24th in driver points, which isn’t terrible, but not great either.  The team has shown the potential to run well, but can’t seem to put an entire weekend together on a regular basis.  But seeing as how Montoya is running well,  it’s hard to blame Truex’s problems on the team and the equipment.  We may be seeing a bit of the lame duck syndrome here.

Heading into the 2010 season, EGR has full time backing from long time sponsor Target, and according to team President Steve Lauletta Bass Pro Shops will return.  Some have said the Bass Pro deal is only for a half season, but even if that is the case, EGR has done a fine job this season of filling the races where Bass Pro isn’t the primary.  There is no reason to believe they couldn’t do the same in 2010.

We’ve also heard that EGR is very close to putting a deal together that would return the #8 car and driver Aric Almirola to competition before this season is out.  If that happens, and Almirola performs, a full time deal for Almirola in 2010 isn’t unrealistic.

So with that said, we are looking at two, possibly three funded cars for the remainder of 2009 and into 2010.  What is unstable about that?

The other point of contention here is the backing from Chevrolet.  There is no doubt that with the GM bankruptcy the level of support from the manufacturer will be drastically reduced.  But if that makes EGR unstable, shouldn’t we be saying the same for NASCAR pillars Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing?  EGR is not the only team that will be affected.

Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not blaming Truex for leaving EGR for the NAPA ride at Waltrip’s joint.  His contract was up and he is certainly free to explore his options.  If he got a better deal at MWR, more power to him.  But I think it is a bit ridiculous to now pile on EGR and call them unstable.  Chip Ganassi is committed to his race teams for the long term and he’s got some great partners and some great people in place.

Before there was a Stewart Haas Racing, there was Tony Stewart the race car driver and business owner. On top of one IRL Championship, two Sprint Cup Series champions, 35 Cup Series wins, eight Nationwide wins and two truck series wins, Stewart managed to build a thriving business in the form of True Speed Enterprises. The enterprise encompasses twelve different businesses that include whole or partial ownership stakes in three different race tracks, ownership of two World of Outlaw cars and entries in the various USAC series and True Speed Communications a full service public relations and marketing business servicing clients throughout motorsports. On top of that is ownership of Denver, N.C. based Custom Works R/C Cars, a manufacturer of R/C cars.

As one of the shrewdest businessmen in the garage Tony Stewart has built an empire only few can compare to.

While he doesn’t quite have the portfolio of Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has business interests that are just as diverse. Need to produce a commercial? Hammerhead Entertainment is a production company Junior founded in 2006. Among their clients are the PBR and the National Guard. The company also does work for Junior’s own television projects including Shifting Gears and Back in the Day. Are you looking to buy a house in the Charlotte area? DEJ Realty is a full service real estate company started by Junior and sister Kelley Earnhardt Elledge in 2007. And finally if your in Uptown on Friday looking for something to do, Junior’s got you covered. His Whiskey River bar opened last year and is a popular night spot. Oh and don’t forget JR Motorsports.

Like Stewart Earnhardt Jr. also has stakes in two race tracks: the yet to be built Alabama Motorsports Park and Paducah International Raceway (which he co-owns with Stewart, Ken Schrader and Bob Sargent).

Among other drivers who own teams are Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick and of course Michael Waltrip. Don’t forget about former NASCAR driver Richard Childress either.

While his successes on track weren’t great, as a team owner Childress has been able to build his Richard Childress Racing into one of the top teams in the sport. Amongst the three series Childress has 12 championships and 180 wins. Also part of Childress’ portfolio are Childress Vineyards and Yadkin River Angus. If you need wine or beef, Childress is your guy.

While throughout much of NASCAR’s history many drivers worked to race, today the decision to start businesses and diversify one’s interests is just good financial sense.

1. From Neil:

Kyle Busch has taken quite a bit of heat regarding the restart wreck [at Loudon].  If he lifts for Truex, what are the odds that all 30 guys behind him lift and magically avoid the big wreck?

I think the odds were pretty good. Drivers spinning the tires and checking up on restarts is not an uncommon thing. Kyle’s problem though wasn’t so much that he didn’t lift but he didn’t lift and went where there wasn’t room for him. - Journo

2. From Christopher:

This may be a bit of a newbie question, but can you explain to me the whole concept of pitting under green vs. yellow, and the dangers of a caution coming out during/after pitting under green.  I just can’t wrap my head around it.  When I see the driver I root for pit, I don’t know what to be “afraid” of happening.

The only danger of pitting under caution is if your driver has a bad pit stop, they will lose a ton of positions.  Pitting under green is very different.  Depending on when a driver pits and when/if a caution comes out, the outcome could be different.  Say your favorite driver pits under green, and subsequently goes down a lap.  Before everyone cycles through, a caution comes out.  Now your favorite driver is caught a lap down.  Next, say your favorite driver stays out longer then everyone else hoping to stretch fuel mileage.  Before he comes to pit road, a caution comes out.  Now, he must come to pit road, and everyone else can stay out, and he loses every bit of track position he may have gained.  Green flag stops make teams nervous because it’s difficult to judge what the consequences could be if a caution comes out. - T.C.

3. From Steven:

With Jeremy Mayfield’s injunction being granted, I must ask: Is this the first time a driver (Or anyone else with a NASCAR license) has ever challenged NASCAR in court and succeeded? I know based on recent history (Particularly the defamation case against Tim Richmond and NASCAR’s recent attacks against Mayfield) that NASCAR as a sanctioning body is particularly brutal against anyone who questions their authority, but has anyone other than Mayfield been able to pull something out of their hats and one up NASCAR’s despotism?

Off the top of my head I can’t think of one. Any lawsuit brought against NASCAR I can think of was settled out of court or they won. Can anyone think of a lawsuit where NASCAR lost? - Journo

4. From Bob:

Does NASCAR limit the amount of fuel available on pit row for each car during the race?  I know there are limits on fuel cell size for each race series, but I am asking about the overall fuel available for the race?  Did NASCAR ever have limits on the amount of fuel available?

Yes, NASCAR limits the amount of fuel the teams get for a race.  No matter what happens, a team is only going to need a certain amount of fuel to run the race.  NASCAR will usually gives the teams that amount plus a little extra. - T.C.

5. From Savannah:

Hey guys, since the court ruling lifted the injunction against Jeremy Mayfield, will there be any drivers who may refuse to race with a “drug addicted” at the wheel?  I read that Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson had completed affidavits for the court case for NASCAR stating they did not feel safe having a driver with questionable drug use.  If a driver felt that they were endangered by Mayfield, would NASCAR take any action such as not allowing him to drive?

You won’t see any drivers refuse to race. Beyond the financial and other commitments they have, they know NASCAR won’t allow Mayfield on track without thoroughly testing him. If a driver did refuse to race I don’t really see any penalties NASCAR could levy against them. Their team owners are another story though. Remember the drivers are independent contractors and don’t have *driving* contracts with NASCAR. - Journo (Apparently this was not clear. I apologize for any confusion).

6. From Kim:

Okay. I am really confused. What is the “wave around” rule and why would it affect the lucky dog?

I’m going to try my best to explain this one, so stay with me.  The wave around rule with the new double file restarts affects cars that are a lap down.  Normally, when a caution comes out, lead laps cars pit first.  This puts all the cars that are a lap down behind the pace car.  If they want to pit, they come down pit road the second time by.  But, if a team now wants to get a lap back they can stay out behind the pace car (and in front of the leader) and not pit.  As the field is coming to take the green, NASCAR will wave these teams around (so they don’t restart in front of the leader) and they can get a lap back.  But, the kicker is that they cannot pit until after the green flag is out.  So they benefit by being able to get the lap back, but they may be taking a big risk by not pitting.  This wave around rule doesn’t affect the lucky dog, as NASCAR still gives the highest scored team laps down a lap back. - T.C.

7. From T:

How do the drivers really feel about the fanzone at Daytona?  Is it an obligation to the owners or NASCAR? how do the crew members feel about it?

I think it’s one of those things it takes a little while to get used to, but you reach a point when you don’t even notice it any more. For drivers being gawked at all the time is nothing new, especially when they’re at the track. As far as crew members go I can tell you they feel like they’re zoo animals, but they too get used to it after a while. Remember Las Vegas is like that too. - Journo

8. From George:

Here is what I would suggest to NASCAR, bring in a competent medical staff to handle the racers, pit crews and officials at all the races.  Require all drivers, crew members and officials to provide information as necessary about medical conditions, medical hsitory and medications.  Have the staff at the infield care center to supervise treatment of injuries or other medical emergencies.  The medical director would be able to evaluate all driver’s who are on medication and make a determination on their fitness to race.  Same for crew members.  Here is where the question comes in:  How would you feel about a designated medical official to oversee drivers, officals and crew members medical conditions and medications?

TC wrote about the safety crew a while ago and I don’t really have a good answer as to why NASCAR does not have one. We are both advocates though. As far as a medical staff goes, NASCAR actually does have one that is familiar with driver medical histories and travels to each track. The medical liason team consists of four RNs and three physician consultants. Obviously the medical staff is only going to know as much as the drivers want them to know as they aren’t their practicing physicians. For crew members and officials I honestly don’t really think it’s necessary. Because these positions are all so interchangeable and constantly in flux I think it would become very cumbersome trying to maintain medical histories. As far as medications go, drivers are required to notify NASCAR and Dr. David Black what they are taking.- Journo

9. From Dave:

Why do teams do wind tunnel testing if modifications to the body, of the car, aren’t allowed?

While NASCAR’s rules for the COT and it’s body are much more stringent then they were for the previous car, the teams still do have a small gray area in which to work.  Modifications to the body have not been outlawed completely.  So teams can still make gains in the wind tunnel and through R&D efforts. - T.C.

10. From Kevin:

Hey guys, what do you think are the main problems at RCR?  They are flat out TERRIBLE right now.  I mean, just downright ABYSMAL.  RC cant be happy about how his teams are performing.  They have got to have by far the worst investment to results ratio among all of NASCAR’s teams.  Harvick and Mears have been non-existant.  And Burton and Bowyer havent been much better.  Also, showing how little they know, the announcers were lamenting RCR’s bad luck, but IMO they havent run well in months.  They havent seriously challenged for wins all season on the Cup Level.  What gives?

I don’t really have a good answer for you. Between the three drivers at RCR last season they had three wins, 21 top-fives, 54 top-10s and all three were in the Chase. From then to now their average finish has dropped from a combined 13th, to 19.4 and only Clint Bowyer is within striking distance of the Chase. Obviously you have to look at what’s different at RCR? The only major change that occurred in the off-season was the fourth team. Could that be a factor? Possibly. They may not have been ready for the addition. Could it be bad luck? Possibly. I believe this is a question Richard Childress and Mike Dillion ask themselves every morning, every afternoon and every night. If they knew the answer I can guarantee you the team wouldn’t be struggling like they are. - Journo.

11. From GreenMeansGo:

I hope you don’t think this is a silly question, but it’s been bugging me since I was at Daytona for qualifying last year.  After the qualifying run, there was a NASCAR official standing at the opening to the garage area on pit road blowing a whistle.  I can’t imagine the drivers being able to hear it so what is it for?  Thanks for all you do!

There are no silly questions here.  The NASCAR or track official who blows the whistle as the cars come off the track is there to warn anybody walking in and around the garage opening that a car is coming through.  It basically means, “hey, get out of the way!” - T.C.

12. From Ric:

I have heard a crew chief  tell his driver about the status of other cars, as in “Everyone is complaining about their car being tight”, or “About half the field looks like they will be short on fuel” etc. Do teams monitor other teams radio traffic? How do various teams get info about other teams? Are there any rules related to this?

Teams can monitor each others’ radios by using the same type of scanner that fans do sitting in the stands.  In some cases, teams will know certain strategy issues just because of how the race has played out.  But it is not uncommon to eavesdrop on another team’s frequency.  There are not rules to govern this type of thing. - T.C.

13. From Dave:

I’ve heard, for years, that getting a copy of the official NASCAR rulebooks is nearly impossible. Why are “the rules” such a closely guarded secret?

The rules aren’t a closely guarded secret.  Anybody who has a NASCAR license gets a copy of their series’ respective book when they sign up for the license.  NASCAR just doesn’t make the book available to the general public.  They will come up for sale on eBay periodically if you really want one, but I think if you did buy one, you’d be disappointed.  It’s mostly technical information and boring stuff on race procedure. - T.C.

14. From Kim:

We hear a lot of discussion about tire wear.  My question is: Does the driving style of the driver influence tire wear, or do all tires for a specific track wear the same?

The driving style absolutely affects tire wear.  If a driver over-drives a car early on, he will burn the tires off quickly and have nothing left for the end of the run.  Really good drivers find a way to not abuse their tires so they have grip throughout a race run.  Think about this, if you were to drive a Cup car around a track at ten miles an hour, the tires won’t wear very quickly, as there isn’t a whole lot of strain on them.  If you drive around at 180 MPH, the tires must do a lot more work, and will wear much quicker. - T.C.

15. From Kenny:

Is there a penalty for running over a hose entering the pit or backing up to reposition the car?  Will Bootie Barker move to the 56 team with Martin Truex, Jr.?

As long as the team rolls the car back over the hose, there will be no penalty.  And there is no penalty from NASCAR for moving the car during a pit stop, as long as the car is legal in the box.  I haven’t heard yet who will be Truex’s crew chief for next season, but I would imagine it will either be Kevin Manion or they will hire another big name crew chief. - T.C.

16. From Ric:

How often is the same chassis and / or engine used. My brother tells me he heard they will replace a chassis after it has been used three times due to the stresses put on it.  I find that a little hard to believe, I would think you would get more use out of them.

Engines (except in the case of this new sealed engine rule) are gone through after every race.  Teams will not use the same engine multiple times.  Chassis are different though.  As long as there is no damage, chassis can be re-used over and over. - T.C.

17. From Ken:

Where were the old NASCAR tracks around Columbia, SC?

There were actually three old NASCAR tracks in the vicinity of Columbia. The biggest was the old Columbia Speedway in Cayce (2001 Charleston Highway, Cayce, SC, 29033), which is still standing. It’s in pretty rough condition though. Here is an article about it. There were two other tracks in Newberry and Hartsville, but they are long closed. - Journo

And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close.  Thanks to everyone who sent in questions.  And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!

Through the first half of this season, Tony Stewart and his #14 team are not only leading the championship standings by 180 points, but they also lead most of the important statistical categories.  At a quick glance, they have the most top fives, most top tens, have run the most laps, have the best average finish and own the most lead lap finishes.

And besides being the latest race winner, just to give you some more evidence on how hot Tony Stewart is right now, check out his most recent finishes.  Since finishing 19th at Charlotte in May, Stewart has finished second, first, seventh, second, fifth, and first in the last six races.  Not a bad start for a guy that is in his first season as an owner/driver.

But, while I know that 18 races doesn’t make an entire season, the kicker here lies in the fact that Stewart is the most prolific second half driver of the last 10 years.  Most of his 35 career wins (21 to be specific), have come after the mid way point of the season. 

So if Tony Stewart is just getting his season started, it appears that the rest of the field may be in big trouble.

Stewart and crew chief Darian Grubb are really starting to gel, and with the support of a great Stewart-Haas team and help from Hendrick Motorsports, this duo may be unstoppable.

And just in case all of these reasons aren’t good enough evidence for you, check out this little tidbit I found while doing some surfing today.

Via the forums over at Rubbin’s Racin’, I discovered that two years after Tony Stewart is featured on the cover of the EA Sports NASCAR video game, he wins the title.  First, Stewart was on the cover of NASCAR 2001, released in 2000.  He won the 2002 championship.  Then, Stewart adorned the cover of NASCAR Thunder 2004, released in 2003.  He went on to win the 2005 championship.  And most recently, Stewart was on the cover of NASCAR ‘08, released in 2007.  Champion in 2009?  Take it to the bank.

After winning at Sonoma and Mexico and winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2007, Montoya looked poised to do great things. But 2008 was not a good year for him.  In 2007 Montoya had an average start of 21.5 and an average finish of 22.7, in 2008 his average start dropped to 23.3 and average finish dropped to 23.9. He didn’t do himself any favors in the points standings either; 20th at the end of 2007, to 25th at the end of 2008.

Admittedly Montoya faced challenges last season. Ganassi’s Dodge program just wasn’t what it had been and Montoya had been through three crew chiefs by the end of the season. Stability was lacking in his program.

The merger between Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, looked to be another kink in Montoya’s development, but pre-season testing had him hopeful.

He started out the year with a 14th at Daytona and an 11th at California. He went on to score his first ever Sprint Cup Series pole at Talladega and has racked up eight top-10s.

While the season has certainly had its bumps, Montoya has only had six finishes outside the top-20. As a result he now sits 11th in points, 86 points ahead of 13th.

The improvement in Montoya is marked. He is a smarter, more consistent driver and that is evidenced by his situation in the points. His attitude is even different. I never thought I would hear Juan Pablo Montoya say he was points racing, but making the Chase is what is important to him right now.

On top of that is the improvement in the performance of his Earnhardt Ganassi team. While his teammate Martin Truex Jr. has struggled with his equipment and the merger all season, Montoya has excelled, showing week in and week out that he can be competitive. The move to Earnhardt Childress engines has given Montoya the necessary power and crew chief Brian Pattie has given him the necessary consistency. The top-fives and the wins have been elusive to this team, but I believe they are on the horizon.

There is still a lot of season to go, but Montoya is doing something few have been able to do and that’s compete in several of the World’s most elite motorsports series.

I think the combination of his talent and his tell-it-like-it-is personality make him one of the most exciting guys out there.

Analysis: Weighing merits of Jeremy Mayfield case no easy task

Former CWS star gets RCR pit crew in tip-top shape

Fans react to Mayfield vs. NASCAR

Ask.com scores big with foray into NASCAR

25 Hall of Fame nominees unveiled for inaugural class

Vintage Insiders

Some Thoughts On The Lug Nut Problem

The Race Track Gourmet

**Remember if you have a NASCAR blog or website and would like a recent article you wrote featured in this section email me and you could be part of next week’s NASCAR Week That Was. Please only send stuff you have written.**

I was also surprised by the language used by the judge. As I later heard ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson say the judge made it sound like he knew more about the drug test than the experts in the case. I don’t see how there could have been a determination of the validity of the test based on the information so far presented to the court. I’m no legal expert though.

Munson said he was surprised NASCAR had not appealed the decision yet and I was a little surprised too. This could be forthcoming though.

Staying away from Mayfield’s guilt or innocence here, I think it sets a very dangerous precedent not just for NASCAR but for sports as a whole for a judge to lift a suspension on any athlete who tested positive for an illegal substance. Allowing an athlete who failed a drug test administered by a sports body to sue and be allowed back to play undermines the authority of said body. While I know many of you think NASCAR is too overbearing, having an impotent sanctioning body is not good for anybody.

If all it takes is a lawsuit to get your way, you can expect everybody to start filing suit against NASCAR. This is also setting up a precedent for suspended crew members to start suing NASCAR too. That is not something that is going to improve the sport.

All of the above being said I think the testing needs to be fair. While I do think NASCAR does need to make some changes, I don’t think it is the flawed policy Mayfield’s attorneys would have you believe.

Undeniably whether he wins this case or not, Jeremy Mayfield is a marked man. No sponsor wants to be connected with him and most owners are going to think twice about working with him (if you want proof of that look at the response from owners with open seats this weekend). The latter is true for any employees who may come back to Mayfield Motorsports. Nobody wants to work for a laughing stock. On top of all this is his admittedly weak financial state. The odds are against him.

Ultimately this is not the last we have heard from this case. Remember this temporary injunction does not signify innocence anymore then it does guilt.

In a similar case last year a judge granted a temporary injunction to five NFL players after they had failed a drug test. A couple of months ago the judge ultimately ruled in favor of the NFL and threw out most of the case.

While the injunction is temporarily a good thing for Mayfield, this is not necessarily the indicator of how this case is going to go. Also remember NASCAR has the right to appeal this ruling to the United States Appeals Court for the Fourth Circuit. Given what transpired on Wednesday I wouldn’t be surprised if that is something they do.

Earlier in the week, Journo and I had a brief discussion about what Logano’s win actually meant.  Journo says as a first time winner, that’s not how Journo would want to win it.  I disagree.

Then on Tuesday, I posed the question to our Twitter followers and let them sound off.  Most of them agreed, more or less, that it wasn’t quite the same as a “regular” win.

Here is my own two cents.

NASCAR is a team sport.  It’s not just the driver out there competing.  For every driver, there are tens or hundreds of people you don’t see who have put their blood, sweat, and tears into that race car to make it competitive.  In some cases the driver will win it for the team, and in others the team will win it for the driver.

Also, winning races isn’t just about who has the best car or the best driver.  The “best” often doesn’t win.  If they did, there would be no point in running the races, as we’d all know who would be in victory lane all the time.  Something tells me you don’t watch because you know who is going to win.  It takes the right moves made by the driver AND by the team to win a race.

On Sunday, Logano and Zipadelli didn’t know or have more information then what was available to every other team.  Crew chiefs up and down pit road knew that there was weather in the area.  It just so happened that Zipadelli was able to work his pit stops right to allow Logano to stay out a little longer then some other cars and be in the lead when the sky opened up.

Race strategy is something that plays into every single race we run, whether you notice it or not.  It just so happens that this particular strategy had a little help from mother nature.  But I don’t think the weather’s involvement takes away from the win.  And I’m pretty sure NASCAR doesn’t give less points for a rained out “W.”

Lets not forget either, that Logano didn’t get the lead under caution when everyone else pitted.  He was able to stay out under green, but then had to continue racing hard to keep the lead, all while saving enough fuel to make it to the end.

So because of all of this, I don’t think you can take anything away from Logano’s triumph.  It wasn’t any easier for Logano to win this race then it is for another driver to win it the old fashioned way.  If it was easy to win this way, everyone would be doing it.

Now that I’m done making my own argument, what is yours?  Are you with me or against me on this one?  Why?  And don’t give me “he didn’t deserve it.”  No driver “deserves” to win more then another, regardless of their situation.

1. From Ella:

Is being a spotter or a pit crew member a full time job?  Do they have work responsibilities outside of race days at the tracks?

Every situation is different.  Some guys work in the shop during the week, others don’t.  During the week, pit crew guys are responsible for being at practices and workouts, but if they don’t work in the shop or in the office for the team, that’s it.  Every spotter is different.  Just to give you an example, I believe (don’t quote me) Kyle Busch’s spotter actually is a driver agent for Motorsports Management International.  It really just depends. - T.C.

2. From Jan:

I know everyone is in a hurry to leave after the race.  Do you have to take off the tires immediately and return them to Goodyear or can you just load the car and return the tires later in the week?  What other stuff has to be done before you can load the car?

Yes, tires do have to be returned immediately following the race to Goodyear.  Teams have a set of travel/setup tires they will put on the car to load it.  Other tasks after the race include removing the transponder and wing (Cup cars), possibly going through inspection, and waiting for any TV/camera gear to be removed. - T.C.

3. From Glenn:

When placing a spring rubber, does the location on the spring itself affect the spring rate?

I don’t think so.  When I’ve changed rears (I’ve done both BTW, and I won’t tell you which one I’m doing currently) and done spring rubbers the crew chief never told me to put it in a certain place. - T.C.

4. From Anonymous:

How come they use gas cans?  Why can’t they just have gas tanks and fill them up with a hose?

This is one of those “we’ve always done it this way” things.  Back in the day teams used fuel cans because there were not refueling systems.  I’d imagine it sort of just stuck. - T.C.

5. From Scott:

I am sitting here watching Happy Hour for the cup cars and they have a camera inside the wheel well of Michael Waltrip’s 55 car.  EverytimeMichael goes into the corner and uses the brakes the rotors are glowing blue instead of red.  What is up with that???

I’m not sure on this one.  If they were glowing blue, I would imagine it’s because they are using a different type of material for the rotors themselves.  Maybe somebody else knows? - T.C.

6. From Alan:

My question is about fuel mileage. During the truck race at Memphis, the annoucers said that Brian Scott was 9 laps short on fuel of making it to the end. They used the generic figure of 2 laps of caution equals 1 lap of racing. They debated how many laps of caution he needed to make up 9 laps. The choices were 4 1/2 laps, 9 laps or 18 laps, which do you think.

Well, I’m not a crew chief but I think it’s 18 laps.  That was the answer that my tire changer math gave me. - T.C.

7. From Savannah:

Hey guys, could you explain the different types of racing series and the cars used in them?  Specifically, why do the dirt cars look that way-with the tale looking wing on the top?  At my local dirt track, they race regular looking cars.   I’m just curious.   Thanks for answering the questions.

It’s mostly an issue of functionality. The World of Outlaws want their cars to function and drive in a certain way so they are small and have a big wing on the roof (also the 700-800 HP and the lightweight nature of the car make it necessary). The same can be said for your local late model series. They have rules and want the competition to look and work in a certain way. Too this is an issue of ‘it’s always been done that way’. IndyCars have always had a futuristic look to them and NASCAR cars have always looked substantially like a stock car. Different strokes for different folks. - Journo

8. From Les:

What is it about the Gibbs cars that causes them to smoke going into the turns?

I believe it’s just how they have the engines tuned in them.  When the drivers get off the throttle, they smoke out the tail pipes a little.  Now what exactly they’ve done, I couldn’t tell you and I doubt they will tell you either. - T.C.

9. From Joey:

My question is about pit road and speeding during practice.  Does NASCAR have a speed limit during practice and if so, what happens if a driver exceeds the limit?

There is no specific pit road or garage speed limit that I’m aware of during practice.  There are officials everywhere though, and if they feel you are going too fast, they will let you know. - T.C.

10. From Michael, Brad:

Any info you can share regarding Bill Weber?  What really happened with Bill Weber last weekend, in New Hampshire?

You know I would like to tell you exactly what happened but I am not 100% certain so I’m going to refrain from speculation and hearsay. - Journo

11. From Ric:

Does NASCAR or the sponsors or others dictate what logo / decal goes where on the uniforms? I understand more $$$ gives you a better location, but other than that. Does the over the wall group NEED to have similar and current (logo / decal) uniforms. What happens to the old uniforms?

I can’t find anything specifically in the rule book about it, but I am almost certain there are minimal guidelines. For instance the inclusion of a Series logo and a logo of say Goodyear and Sunoco. Beyond those though, where logos are placed is at the discretion of the team. This is something that is left up to licensing and marketing folks within the teams and the sponsors. - Journo

12. From Steve:

I was watching the NASCAR Performance episode from Loudoun in which Knaus was showing the fuel cell and the regulations governing the fuel cell… and that got me thinking:  A lot of NASCAR’s rules are safety related but a lot (more than half?) relate to ensuring a level playing field.  Collectively, the teams and NASCAR havegot to be spending tons of money on making sure everything is compliant.  Given the financial situation, what do you think about NASCAR lightening up on the inspection process (fewer inspections, fewer items subject to inspection and so on) in order to save money?

In the process of building a race car making sure everything is compliant is just part of the things you do. Beyond the initial development compliance doesn’t necessarily cost the teams extra money. I think lightening up the inspection process would actually cost the teams more money because they would be looking for ways to cheat/beat the system. - Journo 

And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close.  Thanks to everyone who sent in questions.  And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!