Richard Childress: "You need to leave driver's points alone. That's not a fair stick. It affects too many people that don't have anything to do with the situation." Credit: Autostock

Childress: Don't penalize drivers for infractions

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Citing the importance of every point earned in the new playoff-type championship format, Nextel Cup team owner Richard Childress called for NASCAR to discontinue taking drivers points for rules infractions.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, the driver never has a clue what happens," Childress said. "With the new points system, it's based on the driver getting in the top 10.

"Penalize us owners, take the money away from us and take it away from the crews. But don't penalize the drivers who don't have anything to do with it. I think it's time for NASCAR to revisit the penalty system based on our new points system."

NASCAR docked Childress' driver, Kevin Harvick, 25 points for a rules infraction committed by crew chief Todd Berrier during qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- an infraction Childress said Harvick knew nothing about, and therefore shouldn't be penalized for.

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Childress said taking those points has far wider-reaching affects than it might appear on the surface.

"When NASCAR put the new points system in, I totally disagree with taking away points from the drivers -- in any situation -- unless the driver has something to do with it," Childress said. "If he gets out and jumps on the hood of somebody's car he should lose points."

The day after Berrier knowingly installed an illegal fuel cell in the No. 29 Chevrolet, the crew chief discussed the infraction in a NASCAR.COM interview. Childress said he believes Berrier's comments in that interview carried weight in the sanctioning body's decision to suspend the crew chief for four races.

"Yes I do (believe that)," Childress said. "But how many people in this room has ever said something -- and I'm more guilty as anybody in this room -- right after a heated conversation or something happens to you, and all of a sudden you say something, and later you say, 'Man, I wish I would have that back.'

"How many in this room, not only in racing but in life, you make a comment and you wish you would have said that. Even people in the NASCAR trailer, and other people, have made comments they wish they wouldn't have made before."

Childress said Berrier isn't handling the penalty well, because he knows how deeply it affects the entire team.

"When the crew chief is penalized, it affects you so deep," Childress said. "He can sit in the grandstands and do whatever he likes. It's not like touching the cars.

"He can watch it on TV and tell you everything he wants to, but it's not like touching the cars and it goes a lot deeper than just penalizing the crew chief for that week or four weeks. He feels bad about it."

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Some speculate that sponsors may begin to get involved if NASCAR points penalties affect their respective team's chances of qualifying for the Chase. Childress said GM Goodwrench wanted answers.

"For the first time I can remember the top people at GM Goodwrench called me and said 'Why four weeks? What happened?'" Childress said. "So we had to explain how is this going to affect you in the Chase.

"It could be just like Jamie McMurray last year. It was not fair for him to lose the 25 points. They've got to come up with a situation -- penalize the car owners, take my car.

"But you need to leave driver's points alone. That's not a fair stick. It affects too many people that don't have anything to do with the situation."

For the first time since 2001, Childress will sit atop the No. 29 pit box in Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He'll be working closely with interim crew chief Scott Miller and team engineer Chris Hussey, and speaking with Harvick on the radio.

Childress hopes it will inject some vigor into the team, and further prove his devotion to excellence.

"I'm doing it more to show my organization how much I care about it, and how I want to get this thing back on the right road," Childress said. "I want to get right there on that pit box and light some fire.

"Not that it's not there. I have great, capable people on that box. But with my presence, I want them to know how sincere I am and how dedicated I am to getting this thing back in the winner's circle."