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Mid Race Attrition in the Quicken 400

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

June 16, 2013 1:50 pm UTC No Comments

Michigan Speedway is fast. And with the overnight rains greening up the track, it’s fast enough to make the handling squirrely and, well, interesting.

Kurt Busch got into Carl Edwards on lap one. Carl was caught on the radio, putting that Busch move in his ledger book, but he never had time to collect the debt. After leading 21 laps, Busch spun – unaided – into the wall with major damage.

Before that though, Bobby Labonte also lost it and collected Jeff Gordon, ending both driver’s days way too early.

On a midrace restart, Jimmie Johnson, not wanting a Doverlike penalty for passing the first place driver – who spun his tires at the flag – checked up and forced a 5-wide, near big one. JJ later hoped that NASCAR got what they wanted. Still not happy about that whole Dover deal.

Then Kasey Kahne, who looked like the class of the field today, blew a right front tire going into turn one and smoked the wall.

Nobody hurt yet. The Hendrick cars look strong. At least the two that are left. Junior is strong. Jimmie is Jimmie. And Greg Biffle is lurking. This is Michigan after all.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler – OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson, Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series

Tagged with: Quicken Loans 400

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NASCAR Photos @ChicagolndSpdwy: Sunday from the Geico 400

by Charlie Turner

September 18, 2012 9:54 am UTC No Comments

Exclusive NASCAR pictures from Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway. It was a perfect day for racing and round one of the Sprint Cup Series playoffs.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler – OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Carl Edwards, Chase for the Cup, Chicagoland Speedway, Danica Patrick, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson, Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, NASCAR, NASCAR photos, Ryan Newman, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: GEICO 400, NASCAR pictures, The Chase

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Hendrick Motorsports Pure Michigan Day Went Up in Smoke

by Charlie Turner

August 19, 2012 3:02 pm UTC No Comments

Jimmie Johnson was cruisin to his first ever win at Michigan International Speedway then the motor let go with 5 laps to go.

Jeff Gordon suffered all day with a sour power plant. So did Hendrick-powered Tony Stewart. Johnson had to start from the back Sunday after and engine change. Not enough. HMS obviously tried something. It didn’t work.

On the final re-start Greg Biffle held off Brad Keselowski for the win.

This one went to Ford.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler – OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Greg Biffle, Hendrick Motorsports, jimmie johnson, Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, Tony Stewart

Tagged with: MIS, Pure Michigan 400

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Hendrick, Knaus Need To Know When To Let Go Of NASCAR Appeals Process

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I do weekly Fantasy Pick'Em columns here at OPR, as well as the occasional opinion and analysis piece. I also provide the IZOD IndyCar Series coverage. For more on that, head to my site, OpenWheelAmerica.com. My Twitter handle is @christopherlion.

March 13, 2012 8:27 pm UTC No Comments

chad knaus jimmie johnson chandra and baby on pit road

Perhaps it’s time for Rick Hendrick to just let it go.

After losing today’s appeal to the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel, Hendrick will continue to pursue the overturning of NASCAR sanctions imposed against Jimmie Johnson’s team on opening day of Daytona 500 inspection. The infraction in question, unapproved C-posts that didn’t fit NASCAR’s template, cost Johnson’s team 25 points, crew chief Chad Knaus $100,000, and Knaus and car chief Ron Malec six weeks of track appearances.

Today, a three-person appeals board decided that those penalties were just. Hendrick, unsatisfied with the decision, will take the issue to the board’s chief appellate officer, once again deferring any adjustments to Johnson’s team in the process.

Now, Hendrick’s case, if entirely accurate, might suggest that NASCAR’s handling of the car was a bit off. Hendrick claims that the C-posts, which were taken at Daytona before going through tech, had passed through NASCAR inspection 16 times previously (four times in each restrictor plate race last year) without fail.

The only problem is, proving something like that makes NASCAR look pretty bad. And if Johnson, Knaus, and Hendrick ran unapproved pieces all year in 2011, it’s pretty unlikely that they’re going to get any sympathy from anyone.

Knaus, meanwhile, wouldn’t be a likely recipient of any leniency from the board, no matter the significance of the infraction. He’s frequently been suspended, particularly in Johnson’s peak years. In both 2006 and 2007, the team’s two first championship years, Knaus found himself suspended at one point or another. In fact, his history of “bending the rules” (or cheating, if you’d like) started before he even joined Hendrick; back in 2001, an unapproved window net on Stacy Compton’s car drew NASCAR’s ire for the first time, and Knaus has been “innovating” ever since.

That’s not the kind of reputation that you want to have going into a visit with the head honcho of appeals.

Granted, under the highly unlikely scenario that the penalty is completely overturned, Johnson’s road to the Chase becomes much easier. With -23 points coming out of Daytona, Johnson has successfully climbed back to 23rd in points through Las Vegas, but he would jump into a three-way tie for 13th if he gets the 25 points back. Six weeks with Knaus and Malec at the track would be six less weeks of (likely) working with Lance McGrew, whose results as a crew chief with multiple Hendrick drivers have been so-so.

But the odds are stacked against them.

Without Knaus, Johnson will have to climb back into the top part of the points without the crew chief he’s won most of his races with (remember, Knaus was suspended for the 2006 Daytona 500 win). He’ll be in a situation he hasn’t had to deal with since running Busch races in the early 2000s – working with an average crew chief. We’ll have an opportunity to see just how good of a driver Johnson is without his biggest aide.

Maybe that’s why Hendrick is pursuing this so much. Maybe he doesn’t have faith in his top team to fully climb out of the Daytona hole without Johnson and Knaus working together, especially not with Malec (who served as crew chief for the four races that Knaus missed in 2007) unavailable. Maybe the season is as good as over if this fails. Maybe Johnson will have to work so hard in the early part of the season just to get back into Chase contention that they’ll have nothing left in the tank for the Chase itself.

Maybe going all the way makes a little more sense than we thought.

Filed under: Hendrick Motorsports, jimmie johnson, NASCAR officials

Tagged with: Chad Knaus, Hendrick Motorsports, jimmie johnson, Ron Malec

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From Bad Start to Devastating: Jimmie Johnson’s Daytona 500

by Charlie Turner

February 29, 2012 3:22 pm UTC No Comments

The NASCAR gods are piling on Jimmie Johnson’s #48 team. The other shoe dropped from the pre-practice violations found on the Lowes Chevrolet.

Johnson, who gained just 2 Sprint Cup championship points at Daytona, will enter the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, dead last with a minus 23 points. Come on man, he didn’t even win the Cup in 2011!

Here’s the NASCAR press release.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 29, 2012) – NASCAR has issued penalties, suspensions and fines to the No. 48 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of rules infractions found on Feb. 17 during opening day inspection for the Daytona 500.

The No. 48 car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the rule book or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20-2.1E (if in the judgment of NASCAR officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance will not be permitted – unapproved car body modifications).

As a result, crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec have been suspended from the next six (6) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship events, suspended from NASCAR until April 18 and placed on NASCAR probation until May 9. Additionally, Knaus has been fined $100,000.

Driver Jimmie Johnson and car owner Jeff Gordon have been penalized with the loss of 25 driver and 25 owner points, respectively.

At least Chad Knaus gets a vacation out of it.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler – OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson, NASCAR, Phoenix International Raceway, Sprint Cup Series

Tagged with: Chad Knaus, It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught

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Tony Stewart Vampire Slayer

by Charlie Turner

November 7, 2011 12:22 pm UTC No Comments

With his win in the 2011 AAA Texas 500 Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart cut Carl Edward’s Chase to the Sprint Cup lead to 3 just points.

Smoke has won four of the eight 2011 Chase races, including the last two. And even though Edwards leads in the standings, it is the Stewart wins at Martinsville and Texas that have driven a spike through the heart of Jimmie Johnson’s six year reign of NASCAR terror.

Put the garlic away NASCAR Nation – Count Johnson is dead – metaphorically. Even Jeff Gordon will be able to sleep at night again – actually.

What? You think I’m over reacting? With 30 laps to go at TMS whom do you think Stewart and Jack Roush were watching closer – Kevin Harvick and The Kez, or Count Five Time?

But it’s over. The people of Transylvania and Dixie can open their windows at night and turn on the Speed Channel again. No more Sunday nightmares. California Dreamin’ will be sung by the Beach Boys again, not Chad and Jimmie.

But seriously, Johnson and the #48 team had an unbelievable run, there’s nothing supernatural about it. Just a great team, and a magic time. I just have one question.

Has anybody ever seen Johnson’s reflection in a mirror?

Photo credit: Round girl Cyndi by BethAnne Heisler for OnPitRow.com

Filed under: Brad Kesolowski, Carl Edwards, Chase for the Cup, Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon, jimmie johnson, Kevin Harvick, NASCAR, Roush Racing, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, Tony Stewart