As reported by Sports From the Basement on April 1: Following the Auto Club 400 in Fontana, Ca. on Sunday, March 22 NASCAR confiscated the tires from Stewart-Haas teams No. 4 Kevin Harvick, No. 41 Kurt Busch and Richard Childress Racing teams No. 31 Ryan Newman, No. 27 Paul Menard.
NASCAR sent the tires to their research and development center in North Carolina for examination and then out to an independent third party for testing. Firestone, supplier of NASCAR’s tires, is not involved in any aspect of the investigation. When the results came back, NASCAR officials were not happy. The No. 31 team from Richard Childress Racing broke one of the three golden rules: Don’t mess with the engine, the fuel or the tires.
NASCAR determined that the No. 31 team was guilty of a P5 violation, the second worst violation in a rule system that goes from P1 to P6 instituted in 2014. Driver Ryan Newman was docked 75 championship points, dropping him from sixth to 26 in the current standings and unless he can win a race or two in the remaining season, he is out of the Chase for this year. Team owner, Richard Childress was docked 75 owners’ points. Crew chief Luke Lambert was suspended for the next six races, including the upcoming all-star race in May and fined $125,000 dollars. Tire technician James Bender and engineer Philip Surgen were also suspended six races and placed on probation through Dec. 31.
NASCAR described the violations in a press release as:
12.1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
20.16: Wheels and tires
A. Any device, modification, or procedure to the tire or wheel, including the valve stem hardware, that is used to release pressure, beyond normal pressure adjustments, from the tire and/or inner shield, will not be permitted.
20.16.2: Tires
F. Modifications to the tires, by treatment or any other means, will not be permitted.
Section 12.5.3.5.1 lists P5 Penalty Violation examples that could include but are not limited to:
A. Effecting, modifying and/or altering the standard tires in any way, other than through authorized means such as tire pressure adjustments within the recommended range, permitted tire cooling when mounted on the race vehicle; or heat-cycling on the race vehicle on the race track earlier in the event.
12.5.3.5.2: Minimum P5 Penalty Options (includes all four points below):
A. Loss of 50 championship driver and owner points, regardless of whether the violation occurred during a Championship race or not
B. $75,000-$125,000 fine
C. Suspension for the next six series Championship Races, plus any non-championship races or special events which might occur during that time period, for the crew chief and any other team members as determined by NASCAR
D. Probation through the end of the calendar year for all suspended members, or for a six-month period following the issuance of the penalty notice if that period spans across two consecutive seasons
12.5.3.5.3: P5 Level infractions detected during post-race inspection:
If the infraction is detected during post-race inspection, then the following penalty elements will be added to those listed previously in this section:
A. Loss of an additional 25 Championship driver and owner points; regardless of whether it was a Championship Race or not
B. Loss of an additional $50,000
“NASCAR takes very seriously its responsibility to govern and regulate the rules of the sport in order to ensure competitive balance,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president. “We’ve been very clear that any modifications to race vehicle tires is an unacceptable practice and will not be tolerated.”
Torrey Galida, president of RCR said that Newman’s team would consider all its options.
“We understand the seriousness of the penalty,” Galida said. “In fact, RCR has been one of the most outspoken opponents against ‘tire bleeding’ since the rumors began to surface last season. Once NASCAR provides us with the specific details of the infraction we will conduct a further internal investigation, and evaluate our options for an appeal.”
The unanswered question, did Ryan Newman know? Losing the 75 points hurts, but is it enough? Anytime he does well or wins, does NASCAR take his tires? What do the other drivers think? What do the fans think? Worse yet, what do the sponsors think. After all, sponsor money is what makes a team go.
There has been a lot of talk in the garage area since last season when NASCAR started confiscating and checking Kevin Harvick’s tires. Many think that anyone engaged in such an egregious violation should be banned from NASCAR. More importantly, does NASCAR keep confiscating tires after every race, and if so from which teams? Does Newman ever get the benefit of the doubt?
This “bleeding the tires” incident brings to light issues concerning tires in NASCAR that have been lingering for years. Many other motorsports ruling bodies allow for some type of air release valves on tires to help with grip as the air heats up inside the tires and causes the “slick” or “greasy” feeling that drivers talk about. Is it time for NASCAR to update the rulebook, again?