Robert Yates says if Chad Knaus were fired by HMS, he would hire him. Credit: Gavin Lawrence/Getty Images

Yates: Breaking written rule should bring life ban

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Robert Yates said Friday that if Chad Knaus purposely violated a clearly written rule from the NASCAR rulebook, he should be permanently removed from the sport.

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"If what he did, there was language in the rules about not doing that particular thing, then he ought to go race the Talladega short-track the rest of his life," Yates said.

"If the [NASCAR rule book] language covered that area ... gone. Just gone forever, because that's just stealing."

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NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the window infraction that resulted in Knaus' ejection is not specifically stated in the rulebook.

Yates made certain to clarify that ingenuity in the gray area should be tempered with probation, but that blatantly ignoring a written directive should carry a lifetime ban.

"If it was a creation that was not covered by the language or intent, then I think he needs to be on probation for a while," Yates said. "If [what Knaus was caught with] was a hydraulic system, or a little winch that pulls a cable so the rear-end housing ... pulls his body down, outta here, outta here from now on.

"That's a device. That's clear. I think he needs to go to the Talladega short-track forever."

Yates went on to say that any employee of his that purposely cheated without his knowledge would be fired.

"If it was [an infraction] with a clear rule written against it, and he didn't tell me about, because I wouldn't approve that, I'd have fired him, yes," Yates said.

Hendrick Motorsports spokesman Jesse Essex said no thought was ever given to firing Knaus, and that the organization has "complete confidence" in Knaus.

Yates admitted that Knaus would get a job offer if on the market.

"I'd probably have to [hire him]," Yates said with a chuckle. "He's pretty savvy. He's beat us a lot."