Source: nascar.com
Two Nationwide Series race teams fielded by Joe Gibbs racing face serious penalties after NASCAR officials discovered last weekend blatant attempts to alter post-race chassis dynamometer tests.
Nationwide Series inspectors following Saturday's Carfax 250 at Michigan International Speedway, according to NASCAR's Robin Pemberton, discovered the infractions. The cars involved were the No. 18 Toyota that was driven to a seventh-place finish by Joey Logano, and the No. 20 Toyota that was driven to a third-place finish by Tony Stewart.
"In our post-race inspection, our inspectors discovered some shims that were placed on the gas-pedal stop. They were magnets that were about a quarter-inch thick that prevented the accelerator from going 100 percent wide open," Pemberton said.
It is not unusual for NASCAR to test cars on the chassis dynamometer, which measures rear-wheel horsepower. Officials have administered this test several times during the season, and the No. 18 and No. 20 were only two of several that were tested following the Carfax 250.
The JGR teams in question have dominated the series for much of the season, combining to win 14 of 25 races. The infractions come shortly after NASCAR announced rule changes for the Toyota engines used in the Nationwide Series last month. The guidelines were intended to cut 15 horsepower and level a playing field that fellow competitors had insisted was lopsided for much of the season because they believed the Toyota engines were producing more horsepower than other manufacturers.
The magnetic shims were then removed and the tests performed correctly, although he said NASCAR officials have not had time to digest all the information.
Later, Joe Gibbs met with the media and reiterated the blanket apology.
Two Nationwide Series race teams fielded by Joe Gibbs racing face serious penalties after NASCAR officials discovered last weekend blatant attempts to alter post-race chassis dynamometer tests.
Nationwide Series inspectors following Saturday's Carfax 250 at Michigan International Speedway, according to NASCAR's Robin Pemberton, discovered the infractions. The cars involved were the No. 18 Toyota that was driven to a seventh-place finish by Joey Logano, and the No. 20 Toyota that was driven to a third-place finish by Tony Stewart.
"In our post-race inspection, our inspectors discovered some shims that were placed on the gas-pedal stop. They were magnets that were about a quarter-inch thick that prevented the accelerator from going 100 percent wide open," Pemberton said.
It is not unusual for NASCAR to test cars on the chassis dynamometer, which measures rear-wheel horsepower. Officials have administered this test several times during the season, and the No. 18 and No. 20 were only two of several that were tested following the Carfax 250.
The JGR teams in question have dominated the series for much of the season, combining to win 14 of 25 races. The infractions come shortly after NASCAR announced rule changes for the Toyota engines used in the Nationwide Series last month. The guidelines were intended to cut 15 horsepower and level a playing field that fellow competitors had insisted was lopsided for much of the season because they believed the Toyota engines were producing more horsepower than other manufacturers.
The magnetic shims were then removed and the tests performed correctly, although he said NASCAR officials have not had time to digest all the information.
Later, Joe Gibbs met with the media and reiterated the blanket apology.