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Crew chiefs are just doing what they're paid to do

Posted by Kirk Elliott at 12:19:58 PM

NASCAR is not racing.  It's a soap opra.  Instead of talking about the drivers and teams who have a shot at winning the Daytona 500, we're talking about crew chiefs escorted off the property and $100,000 fines.  Does anyone really believe this will make any difference at all?

It should be no surprise with added rules to "even up the competition" that teams will do whatever it takes to get an edge.  NASCAR's attempt to manipulate and control the racing has served to increase costs to such a degree, the pressure to perform from sponsors is greater than its ever been.

The sophistication of spring and shock packages to aerodynamics has taken the setup out of the hands of the drivers and crew chiefs and into the domain of specialized engineers armed with intricate computer data.

So fudging the rule book is of bigger importance to the crew chief than ever before.  Getting through the tech line "too easy" is not acceptable to the team owner.  It means not enough was done in preparation of the race car. 

With the difference of just a few tenths of a second seperating the pole sitter to the last man on the grid, this is the way it's going to be.  Points, monetary fines, and point deductions may curtail it to some degree, but not totally eliminate it.

The only way NASCAR will be able to get their point across is sending teams home before the race and disqualifying those who fail post-race inspection.  It's the team owner who should be accountable.  Had Jimmie Johnson's 48 team been sent home prior to last year's Daytona 500, would Rick Hendrick have given crew chief Chad Knaus a raise and contract extension?   I doubt it.

NASCAR has taken away innovativeness and creative ingenuity to such a point, we're seeing less racing and more of a parade.  Will the "Car of Tomorrow"  make it better or worse?  Only time will tell.  I know this: NASCAR is not the sport I fell in love with 30 years ago when you could tell a Ford from a Chevy.   That just doesn't matter anymore.  Wonder how Toyota will feel about that in about five years?

 

Reader Comments

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Feb 16, 2007 06:12:48 PM by Bodee

Couldn't agree with you more, seems like WWF more and more, maybe Nascar already knows who will win the 500?

 

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