Roush upset with NASCAR approach to COT testing

CONCORD, N.C. -- As if he wasn't busy enough already, now Jack Roush is venturing into the media consulting business.

Asked about his Roush Fenway Racing operation's state of readiness as the Nextel Cup Series prepares to run the Car of Tomorrow full-time next season, Roush took the opportunity to suggest a story line for those who cover the sport. Then he launched into a monologue that basically proved his point, but also provided strong evidence that perhaps his organization simply wasn't forward-thinking enough when compared to the other big teams in the Cup Series as they all prepared for the 2007 racing season.

"There's the potential for a lot of editorials for you guys. I can't believe you're missing it, but NASCAR came back and with Goodyear decided that we can't own our tires," Roush said at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where his race teams were preparing for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.

"They were going to stop us from taking tires home because they did not want us to test these cars. They were going to start everybody on the Car of Tomorrow on an even basis, saying there were four or five tests -- whatever it was -- and that's what you get, that's what you've got.

"Well, the teams that have been successful and I'll name names -- the Hendrick organization, the Gibbs organization and the Childress organization -- have been testing these cars multiple times a week on race tracks that were outside of NASCAR's control, with tires that were not Goodyears for the most part because they won't sell the tires. So Goodyear is sitting on top of millions of dollars worth of tires that are growing obsolete and hard in their warehouses -- and the teams were going around NASCAR's policy and their intention by buying other people's tires and going to race tracks."

While all that may be true, it's also true that those race teams weren't technically breaking any established NASCAR rules and that Roush Fenway Racing could have been doing the same thing. Roush admitted as much.

"I got behind on that," he said.

He also said that is about to change, although one has to wonder how much it will help him in the short term that would be the remainder of this Nextel Cup season. Through the first 11 points races, race teams from Hendrick Motorsports have reached Victory Lane eight times, teams from Richard Childress Racing have won twice -- and driver Matt Kenseth of the No. 17 Ford is the only Roush Fenway Racing team member to register a victory, having done so only once.

Roush said that he is ready now to devote more resources to playing the same testing game as the others.

"I didn't do that [earlier], but two weeks ago I hired six people and I dedicated a tractor-trailer [to the effort] and I've gone public and said, `OK, I'm going to get in the testing game, too,'" Roush said. "If you don't want us to test, then you need to have us sign something in the application that says, `We agreed that we would not test our cars with Goodyear tires or anybody else's tires, except for the race tracks that NASCAR has approved.'

"They didn't do that. They left the door open and we got behind. But we're going to catch up."

Jeff Gordon, who pilots the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, has won three races and currently sits atop the driver point standings. He said that Hendrick's organization has nothing to apologize for in regards to its aggressive -- and completely legal -- testing program that has so angered Roush.

"We're doing everything we can to be competitive and we're not doing anything wrong," Gordon said. "We're testing at tracks that aren't NASCAR-sanctioned tracks, as they clearly state. We're not using Goodyear tires. If they're not available, then we're not using those.

"We're doing things to get laps and get information -- just like having a seven-post [shaker] test and having a wind tunnel test. We're utilizing a track to just gather information and I would admit that it's definitely playing a role in helping us get to where we are. I don't know what the Gibbs teams or Childress teams are doing. But if the Roush teams aren't doing that, then that's their mistake."

Roush was right about one thing. The topic makes for a good story.