HEY JIMMIE...

[wolfcub]

You want some freaking cheese with that whine!!!???

Labbe rejects 'cheater' label, says he offered to quit NASCAR team, was turned down
By JIM UTTER
The Charlotte Observer
Find more racing news at ThatsRacin.com
DARLINGTON, S.C. – Richard "Slugger" Labbe, crew chief for Dale Jarrett's No. 88 Fords, said he offered to quit this week after he was penalized by NASCAR for an unapproved sway bar last weekend at Richmond, Va.

Labbe said Yates would not accept his resignation.

"He said we weren't going to do that because what I did was not a flagrant violation of the rule book," Labbe said Friday. "That's the way I feel.

"I don't like the term 'cheater' because I don't think that's what we did. We worked hard to get an advantage because the competition is so strong.

"There's not a crew chief in the garage that goes through inspection that's not sweating, either before the race or after the race. We're nervous about what we do because we push a lot of issues."

NASCAR suspended Labbe four races and fined him $25,000 and stripped Jarrett of 25 points and car owner Robert Yates 25 points for the violation. Labbe is allowed to work until his appeal is heard on Wednesday.

Labbe and Yates have received a good share of criticism this week, particularly from Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson.

Earlier this season during Daytona Speedweeks, Yates made some strong comments about crew chiefs that bend the rules in reference to the suspension of Chad Knaus, Johnson's crew chief.

"I just hope Mr. Yates lives up to what he said he would do in the media center when he was down there throwing stones out (his) glass house saying if anybody in his organization was ever caught cheating that he would fire them," Johnson said Thursday night on his XM Satellite Radio show, "Not What You Expected."

"Everybody is probably learning Yates and their organization - the Texas race - NASCAR saw something with the back of the car that they didn't like with the rear sway bar and how it would pick the race car up and give them an advantage and they said, 'Hey just take it off ...You can race ...Take it off ... Don't bring it back,'" Johnson said.

"First of all, if that would have been the 48 they would have locked our car up, sent Chad home once again and it would have been a big mess."

Labbe said he can take the criticism.

"A lot of people beat up on Chad. It's something new to do," Labbe said. "I got people calling me 'Chad.' And I said, 'It's Mr. Knaus to you.'

"You got to have fun with it because this is a tough sport. People are giving me a hard time because they're my friends and they care about it."

Labbe said if his appeal is not successful there is plenty of work at Robert Yates Racing's shop.

"We'll probably cut a body off our speedway car, work on our road course stuff," he said. "There are a lot of things to do, but I hope it doesn't go through."

My two cents for what it is worth. Labbe's "different" interpretation of the rule is simply another way of saying we cheated and got caught. I would be curious to know if the sway bar was the same for last year's race or was this a "recent interpretation. Either way, you cheated got caught deal with it. BUT this is for our whinner above...Just like everything else it is the number of times, serverness, etc. that must be also taken into account so your argument that your car would be locked up, etc. HELL YES it would you idiot!! Your crew chief has been caught a half dozen times to Labbe one time!!!! DUH!!! Again Just my 2 cents

 

[barelypure]

But it was Yates running his mouth, giving off that holier-than-thou aura that Jimmie was objecting to.

when he was down there throwing stones out (his) glass house

Did you miss that part or just conveniently not take it into account when you made your asinine statement? And, obviously this was something Yates had been warned about before but not punished. It looks like he was expecting similar treatment.
Should Labbe be fired? Of course not. Should Yates STFU? Most definitely. This has come back full circle on him...

 

[Aggiewes]

I agree with barelypure.... Johnson is not a whiner here.... He is merely pointing out that someone (Yates in this case) changes the standard when his crew chief gets his hand caught in the cookie jar.

No problem, but maybe next time RYR will watch what they say when someone else gets caught.

 

[MRM]

I can side with JJ for calling out Yates after Yates blasted him. But I don't agree with his comment they would have been nailed if it had been them. They weren't penalized any points where RYR was. He better shut his mouth regarding that.

 

[Whizzer]

You want some freaking cheese with that whine!!!???
My two cents for what it is worth. Labbe's "different" interpretation of the rule is simply another way of saying we cheated and got caught. I would be curious to know if the sway bar was the same for last year's race or was this a "recent interpretation. Either way, you cheated got caught deal with it. BUT this is for our whinner above...Just like everything else it is the number of times, serverness, etc. that must be also taken into account so your argument that your car would be locked up, etc. HELL YES it would you idiot!! Your crew chief has been caught a half dozen times to Labbe one time!!!! DUH!!! Again Just my 2 cents

No need to take Jimmie's remarks so seriously.
Of course we can each interpret wha Jimmie said in different ways but my interpretation is, Jimmie was being sarcastic with his comments.

None of this would be so interesting had it not taken place over that Daytona incident, when the sanctimonious outcries of "hang 'em high" were heard from Mr. Robert Yates, who was not only the most vocal but was extremely implicit in describing what he would do if that ever occurred with his team.

We must wait to see what transpires, but for now the ball is in Mr. Yates, court. The real test will come when we find if Mr. Yates was shooting off his mouth or was serious about firing anyone on his team who cheats. Of course, the way out is, to say Labbe did not cheat and at that point it becomes atopic of further discussion.

If NASCAR upholds the decision, the team deserves to be punished in a consistent manner.

 

[wolfcub]

I can side with JJ for calling out Yates after Yates blasted him. But I don't agree with his comment they would have been nailed if it had been them. They weren't penalized any points where RYR was. He better shut his mouth regarding that.

This was my main beef with JJ. He acts like NASCAR unjustly sanctioned his team and that they went easy on RYR. Last time I checked JJ did not lose driver's points b/c NASCAR said "they did not think he was aware of the penalty" but Dale lost them so his insinuation that NASCAR would have "nailed" him is what I was saying about his whinning

 

[kat2220]

Sheesh Wolfie, let it go!

 

[barelypure]

This was in another thread but Bobby Ford posted the reason why Jimmie didn't lose points. I think it was 2/24. I do suppose you know that not all violations carry a points penalty. In fact many do not.
I think you are just a 48 hater...

 

[This Buds For Me]

This was my main beef with JJ. He acts like NASCAR unjustly sanctioned his team and that they went easy on RYR. Last time I checked JJ did not lose driver's points b/c NASCAR said "they did not think he was aware of the penalty" but Dale lost them so his insinuation that NASCAR would have "nailed" him is what I was saying about his whinning

Gotta agree with you...JJ needs to shut up...the reason why he has a lot of haters is because he says things he's not supposed to.

should yates have made the comment back at Daytona? no..he should have kept his mouth shut....but here comes JJ again making a statement that he shouldnt...he would have gotten nailed because his team has a history of cheating.....yet the 88 doesnt.....somehow the 88 looses points and the 48team didnt...JJ needs shut up and stop trying to walk around the garage like he's a multiple cup champion driver....when you've won a few trophies then you have the right to say some things....until then...shut up.

 

[de7xwcc]

i won't be politically correct here i personally cannot stand johnson or his cc and i personally think his is one of the biggest if not the biggest cry baby in nascar, (now that rusty has retired)