multi21

Can we just call NASCAR a farce now?

Conspiracy spin by Clint Bowyer?

Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports 12:42 a.m. EDT September 8, 2013


Garage abuzz on whether Michael Waltrip Racing driver helped teammate Martin Truex Jr. make Chase by triggering well-timed caution


9-7-2013 clint bowyer spin


Story Highlights
Ryan Newman lost his chance at a race win - and Chase slot - when the caution flew
Bowyer had locked up a Chase spot before the Richmond race


RICHMOND, Va. -- As questions swirled around Clint Bowyer's late-race spin at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night – an incident that altered the Chase for the Sprint Cup field with a caution – NASCAR said it did not believe Bowyer did anything intentional.

"Not at all," Sprint Cup Series director John Darby told USA TODAY Sports. "Although we watch it – we make a point of mentioning it in the drivers' meeting and everything – I don't think anybody realistically believes that was the case with the 15 car."

Bowyer's spin with seven laps remaining fell under scrutiny because it happened by himself – though Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in the proximity – and ultimately helped Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. make the Chase.

"He just spun right out," Earnhardt said afterward. "That's the craziest thing I ever saw. … He was hemming around on the brakes and jerking the car around, and then the thing just spun out. It was crazy. I don't know what was going on."

Before the race, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton warned the drivers to "keep it fair and square."

But when Bowyer spun, Ryan Newman was on his way to making the Chase instead of Truex. So too was Jeff Gordon instead of Joey Logano.

Circumstances after the spin caused both Gordon and Newman to miss the Chase. Logano and Truex ultimately made it – Truex on a tiebreaker with Newman.

Newman, who would have qualified with his second win of the season, lost the lead while pitting under caution and finished third.

"If we were a championship-contending team, we needed a championship-contending pit crew, and we didn't have one tonight," Newman said.

Audio replayed by ESPN after the race had spotter Brett Griffin telling Bowyer the circumstances of the race, followed by two odd comments from crew chief Brian Pattie:

"Is your arm starting to hurt?" Pattie said. "I bet it's getting hot in there. Itch it."

Bowyer then spun out.

"I think we had something going wrong," Bowyer said after the race. "I had so much wheel, by the time I got to the gas, he was underneath me. I spun out.

"I know it's a lot of fun for you guys to write a lot of wacky things. Go ahead if you want to. Get creative. But don't look too much into it."

Neither Newman nor Gordon would speculate on the cause of the spin.

"I don't have a TV inside my car," Newman snapped, then said, "You think?" when asked if an intentional spin would upset him.

"I'm not speculating," Gordon said with fire in his eyes. "Why should I comment on speculation? I don't know the facts until Bowyer tells me he did that. Then we can discuss that."

9-8-2013 ryan newman tony stewart
Ryan Newman talks with team co-owner and close friend Tony Stewart after failing to make the Chase field.(Photo: Tom Pennington, Getty Images)


Team owner Michael Waltrip told USA TODAY Sports he was unaware of any funny business.

"I don't know," he said. "I didn't hear any … I was busy monitoring who was doing what. I mean, I don't think Bowyer spun on purpose. But I don't know."

Would it be OK with Waltrip if Bowyer's spin was intentional?

"I don't like to do what-ifs," he said. "We're just really grateful that we got two of our cars in the Chase. It would be a real bummer if our young organization only got one in and not the other."

NASCAR.com reporter Alan Cavanna tweeted that Waltrip walked up to Truex on pit road and told the driver, "You've got awesome teammates."

NASCAR, though, will likely not penalize Bowyer even if it comes to believe the spin was intentional.

"For one, you'd have to be doggone sure that's what happened if you ever tried to react to it," Darby said. "Each individual team has enough stake in making the Chase that I don't think any of them are willing to risk that.

"… Spinning out or (Jimmie Johnson) hitting the wall to help (Gordon), all of that stuff is pretty far-fetched."

In 2004, NASCAR said it would not penalize Earnhardt for an intentional spin at Bristol. But after the driver admitted it, NASCAR re-opened the issue and issued a 25-point penalty.

multi21

You be the judge

dbf73

Pete - re your thread title, that's exactly what I thought when I read about this

Kurt R

Plenty of talk about Bowyer creating a caution, and yet no talk of 48 Johnson bringing out the caution right before it just when Gordon needed it? If not for the last caution Gordon and Newman would have been in the chase. I guess Toyota outbid Chevrolet in the final minutes.

TXE36

Here we go: Newman Replaces Truex in NASCAR chase.

-Mike

ltc

Pete,
Please allow me to take this opportunity to point out that Flavio took the FIA to court and was cleared of all charges related to Crashgate and his ban from F1 thrown out.

It is libelous for you to infer this NA$CAR incident was modeled after behavior that Flavio (and Mr. Pat Symmonds) were clearly never a part of.

Besides, I am waiting for NA$CAR to announce the "Ladies First" clause of the Chase for the Championship in order to get Danica into the playoffs.

9.5 Degrees

Kudos to NASCAR for getting this right. Bowyer may not have got a penalty but did Pinquet Jr. for crashing on behalf of his teammate? Clint was following orders and the suspension of the higher ups was justified.

GT3DE

MWR drivers/teams should all be banned from the Chase as well as suspension from racing for at least 1 week. No racing for them next week - leave them all at home.

gbuff

We got slappin', we got spinnin', we got the kind of stuff that NASCAR thrives on and gets people talkin'

It's also the kind of stuff that reinforces my utter disdain (I'll refrain from using the word "hate"--oops) for that organization.

Gary

uscarrera

WWF ?? Can Hulk Hogan drive?
Rich

pontifex4

You've just given me an idea for a new TV series.

Sean F

was anyone in the race not cheating?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...rial&hpt=hp_t2

Joey Logano may have had help qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Chase for the Cup this past weekend at Richmond, Va.

According to an ESPN report, it's quite possible that Penske Racing made a deal with Front Row Motorsports late in Saturday night's race in an effort to help Logano gain track position and survive the cut for the Chase.

The Associated Press reportedly reviewed some of Front Row driver David Gilliland's radio communications from Saturday's race and found that at one point Gilliland's spotter mentions a request to let Logano pass in the waning moments.

Logano wound up finishing 22nd, one spot ahead of Gilliland after passing him on a restart in the late stages of the race. The finish was enough to put the 23-year-old driver into the Chase for the Cup.

According to the report, the exchange over Gilliland's radio went as follows after crew chief Frank Kerr asked the spotter where the request to let Logano pass had come from:

Spotter: We've got the big dog and all his cronies.

Frank Kerr: Travis [Penske Racing competition director Travis Geisler] knows what I've been asking for.

Logano passes Gilliland on the restart.

Spotter: Good job, good job, man. Hopefully we'll get something out of that.

Penske and Front Row are both Ford racing teams and therefore partners.

NASCAR is reportedly looking into the report, but has yet to find anything requiring them to take action against either team.

At the moment, Logano is currently sixth in the 12-driver Chase, 12 points back of leader Matt Kenseth.

This troubling report comes in the wake of NASCAR punishing Michael Waltrip Racing for manipulating the end of Saturday's race in an effort to help Martin Truex Jr. qualify for the Chase, which begins Sunday afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway in Joilet, Ill. Truex was forced to vacate his wild card spot in the Chase and Ryan Newman was awarded the spot after NASCAR's ruling on the cheating scandal earlier this week.

ninjacoco

I'm thinking less Flavio, more Jerry Springer. All that's missing are people picking up chairs to toss across the set.

AudiOn19s

Funny thing is I'm sure this crap's been happening all season...but they only pay attention when it matters.

Like Fernando getting around Massa last weekend in F1. Nobody cared cause it was for 2nd in the middle of the season. Still can have an impact down the road.

You've got team mates or people running under the same brand...shifty stuff is gonna happen to help each other out.

gbuff

That was Massa's going-away present to the team....