Team owner Richard Childress with Kevin Harvick and Todd Berrier Credit: Autostock

Berrier to sit Atlanta race; Hendrick chiefs on duty

HAMPTON, Ga. -- Chad Knaus and Alan Gustafson remain at their posts this weekend, but Richard Childress decided to sit Todd Berrier at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson, and Gustafson, crew chief for Kyle Busch, were fined and suspended Tuesday for rules violations last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

	Todd Berrier Credit: Autostock
	ALSO •   Knaus, Berrier, Gustafson penalized for violations at Vegas •   Busch crew chief Lohse fined $10,000, suspended •   Hendrick, RCR to appeal Las Vegas penalties

Johnson and Busch finished 1-2 but were docked 25 points and money and suspended for two weeks. Berrier, crew chief for Kevin Harvick, was suspended for four weeks for an illegal fuel cell in addition to being penalized 25 points. Team owner Richard Childress said Berrier would start the suspension this week despite filing an appeal.

"I think he deserves a penalty, but not four weeks," Childress said Friday. "I want to get it started right now. I don't want it to drag out. I've never won an appeal in my 35 years, and I've had quite a few. I don't see why we would win this one, but I had to make a statement because I disagree.

"If it had just been us that weekend, I probably would have let it ride. But when I start getting questions from sponsors and other people and race fans, we had to respond. I do agree with them and four weeks is too much."

Childress said he and Berrier had a "pretty stiff talk" about the violations but didn't elaborate. Engineer Scott Miller will serve as Harvick's crew chief this weekend.

Childress said the appeal is scheduled for March 29.

"He's disappointed," Childress said of Berrier. "But he knew he was wrong and he knew it was coming."

Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus Credit: Autostock

Johnson was disappointed at the negative publicity surrounding Knaus, especially considering the car was too low because a wedge bolt had worked its way loose during the race, Johnson said.

"It looks like he robbed a bank," Johnson said. "Mug shots, 'Chad Knaus breaks the rules.' There are two other guys with fines, and one was premeditated. It's crazy to see them all over the place. Granted, we won the race, we were leading the points, so there's a big story behind that. It's funny how things get blown up any more, especially for a car being low and disadvantaged.

"A couple weeks from now, it'll all be behind us, especially if we go out this weekend run well at Atlanta. It'll put all the critics to sleep. We were not doing anything crazy to the racecar."

If Knaus' appeal is denied, Johnson said the timing would work out fine. The next two races are short tracks Bristol and Martinsville.

"If it is Bristol and Martinsville, those are tracks where the new aero package won't have a huge difference," Johnson said. "They are tracks where the setups have been very close to the same for 10-15 years. Timing-wise, if it was to happen, it's probably two of the better weeks for our race team."

Lohse still on duty in Busch Series

Busch Series crew chief Todd Lohse, who calls the shots for the No. 32 Braun Racing Chevrolet of Shane Hmiel, will be at work this weekend at Atlanta. The NASCAR Commission rescinded his four-race suspension, but upheld the $10,000 fine that was levied after inspectors found alterations to the car's roof flaps earlier this season at California Speedway.

Credit: Autostock

The commission cited "mitigating circumstances" in rescinding the original penalty.

"We're pleased that the process worked and that NASCAR listened to our side of the story," team owner Todd Braun said. "They decided the penalty was probably too harsh considering what the violation was and what the intention of the violation was."

Braun said he didn't know what the commission's "mitigating circumstances" were, but he vouched for his team's not seeking any type of competition advantage.

"I think that's probably why the ruling was changed," Braun said. "Our contention right along was that the modification was a non-performance-enhancing one, that was made basically to fit NASCAR's templates.

"Because of that I think the commission saw that there was no intent of a violation that would endanger safety for a performance gain -- and I think that's why we saw this outcome (to the appeal)."

Braun said he would not further appeal the fine or Lohse's probation for the balance of 2005.