Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson got a little too close to the rules for NASCAR last week at Dover. Credit: Autostock

Shocks run by Johnson, Busch bring rule change

Controversial shocks were within rules at Dover; assembly is issue

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- The premier garage debate Friday at Talladega Superspeedway centered on suspect shocks run by Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch en route to a 1-2 finish last weekend at Dover International Speedway.

Nextel Cup director John Darby said teams will get a bulletin from NASCAR this weekend at Talladega. Credit: Autostock

How can NASCAR allow Johnson and Busch to retain their respective finishes when their cars initially checked in too high during post-race inspection?

Because according to most garage personalities asked, including NASCAR officials, neither team technically did anything wrong.

According to Nextel Cup director John Darby, both cars' shocks were well within the rulebook guidelines and passed post-race inspection when given ample time for the shocks to settle into resting position.

"There's nothing wrong with what they were doing," said Todd Berrier, crew chief for Kevin Harvick's Chevrolet. "We were all available to do the same thing. Fundamentally it's pretty easy to do, you've just got to be willing to work it all out.

"And actually, I don't really think it's fair to take something away from somebody that's not blatantly doing something wrong."

Rules change forthcoming

Though NASCAR deemed the Nos. 48 and 5 fit to retain their finishing positions at Dover, the sanctioning body also felt strongly enough to confiscate the shocks. And after studying them for a week in their Concord, N.C., Research and Development Center have chosen to introduce a rules change.

Darby said at some point this weekend the sanctioning body will issue a bulletin laying out new shock guidelines. Darby wouldn't specify what differences were forthcoming, but Berrier gave a clue.

Kyle Busch finished second at Dover on Sunday. Credit: Autostock

"Last year when they made a rule, people were running a lot of gas pressure in the shocks, and NASCAR was deeming that dangerous - 1,000 pounds, 600 pounds. So they backed it to 175 (pounds)," Darby said. "Now they're going to back it to 75.

"I have a good relationship with John (Darby), and John told me that, after a really short amount of time, they were as legal as anybody else out there. If that's the case, then there shouldn't be a rules change."

Yet one is coming. So the Nos. 48 and 5 teams were legal, but close enough to illegal to produce a rules change?

"From a rules standpoint, these are the facts: the cars passed post-race inspection Sunday night," Darby said. "In regards to the shock absorbers themselves, after being tested and disassembled, all the parts and pieces are well within the confines of the rule book.

"However, the shock build -- the assembly of the parts and what the shock is intended to do with that build -- is not within in the spirit and intent of the shock absorber rule.

RUSTY'S TAKE "If that 2 car came though tech three-quarters of an inch too high, I would have a 25-point problem and I'd have a $25,000 fine. The Hendrick guys are great friends of mine, I don't wish them anything bad, but rules are rules, and they came through high. If they had gotten penalized, I'd be leading this championship right now. The rules changing doesn't affect us at all. You have got to hand it to them for being that smart. They didn't do anything illegal. They just worked the rulebook and got away with it."  -- Rusty Wallace

"Simply put, we prefer the shock absorbers are used for shock absorbers, which is a device that controls the frequency of a spring, not to be a spring assist or jack."

Without being specific, Darby said one car checked in an eighth-of-an-inch low, while the other was a quarter-inch low. But it wasn't post-race inspection that led NASCAR to confiscate the shocks.

"It was a little bit of post-race inspection, but watching the cars on the racetrack it was obvious that the car was traveling in a downward motion as most cars do," Darby said.

"Every shock builder in the garage knows exactly how to do what those two teams built. The difference is, especially last Sunday, is there were 41 teams that understand what the spirit and intent of shock absorber rules are and two that may or may not have understood it, but chose to do it differently."

So why no penalty?

"Threaten me and you'll not get a penalty," Darby said. "Put a bullet in my head and you'll get a penalty. Without clear-cut evidence that proves the cars to be outside the rulebook, we don't have to (react.)"

Chasers question decision

Some Nextel Cup Series competitors were jealous of Johnson's technological advantage, while others questioned the validity of NASCAR's post-race inspection procedures.

"That is the coolest part about racing -- looking at the rules and finding a way to bend them a little bit," Jamie McMurray said. "I think that is really cool and I am disappointed we didn't find that out. We do not work on projects like that. That is not just something we focus on, and in my opinion, we should."

Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle, both in the Chase for the Nextel Cup alongside Johnson, were a bit more critical.

Inside the Chase Point standings after Dover No. Driver Pts. Behind 1. J. Johnson 5,362 -- 2. R. Wallace 5,355 -7 3. R. Newman 5,350 -12 4. M. Martin 5,341 -21 5. T. Stewart 5,339 -23 6. G. Biffle 5,339 -23 7. J. Mayfield 5,281 -81 8. C. Edwards 5,259 -103 9. M. Kenseth 5,238 -124 10. Ku. Busch 5,192 -170 • Official results, click here • Official standings, click here Final lapsKurt Busch struggles and a green-white-checker finish Flat MattChase driver Kenseth has two separate tire issues MBNA RacePoints 400Get all the highlights from The Monster Mile Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

"It all depends on what mood the inspectors are in," Newman said. "And I say that because there are times when we'll go through and they'll let us work on the car in the house to make it right before a race or qualifying or something like that.

"So, there are times when they'll let you work on it, and there are times when they say, 'Go back in line and fix it.' I guess it's maybe just a gray area that they caught. I'll commend them on the fact that what they did was smart as far as what they did on the racetrack.

"But when they didn't meet the rules coming back to the house after the race, then it isn't fair anymore. And even if he waits an extra half-hour or whatever it was, it's still not fair."

To Newman's point, Darby said he is certain NASCAR's inspection process is viable, and that cars are often sent through the height sticks multiple times during post-race inspection.

"It didn't pass the first time through, and I didn't see anything in the rule book that says, 'Cars will be given three opportunities to be made legal as they come through the house," Newman said.

"Obviously, NASCAR is going to make some kind of decision as far as shocks or the process, but it's a little late for nine other teams right now."

Biffle added, "If you guys remember, the same two race cars were docked points the third race of the season at Las Vegas. There's nothing different that happened at Dover that didn't happen there. Their cars were both too high in the tech.

"They settled out, supposedly. I was not there so I don't know but our team engineer was there and has no reason to tell me any different. He said when both cars rolled up on the grid and they put the height sticks on they were too high and they took pictures of them too high.

"Shortly thereafter the car settled down some, therefore they're legal. Right in the rule book, clearly, 'any device or anything that alters the height of the car beside the jack bolt,' which you put the thing down in and turn and raises and lowers the car, 'is illegal.' But let the general public or whoever make their own deduction from there."

Ultimately, Berrier says the point is moot.

"Everybody in this garage is smart enough to know if they're an eighth-of-an-inch high and we're all (complaining) about that, then we're a bunch of wimps and crybabies that are doing the wrong job," Berrier said. "Because there ain't an eighth-of-an-inch that's beat any of us."