Knaus benches 48 crew

MRM

MRM

Team Owner
Joined
Jun 14, 2002
Messages
5,685
Points
793
Location
Powell, TN
I'll admith I didn't watch much of the race yesterday. I was suprised to hear Chad Knaus benched his pit crew in favor of Gordon's crew. In all my years of watching NASCAR, I don't think I've heard of that, especially over the last 20 years.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out the next two weeks. Will the 48 crew respond and step up their game or will they be looking over their shoulder any time they mess up?
 
In a interview shown before the race Gordon talked about it being a team sport and how everybody has to do their job. How it's the same in other pro sports with managers and coaches calling the shots.

Looking back with the tight points race for the championship and his crew faster than Johnsons it almost seems like he knew the swap was coming.

Just my opinion but swapping crews in mid race is a no-no. RCR did it right.
 
Hummmmmmmmmmmm. There are to many ways to look at this. First, the 48 team wasn't stepping up and they were costing Jimmy positions. Since there was a faster crew available, why not take advantage and make the change.
What it all comes down to is the fact, NASCAR is big business. If Gordon's crew was faster and available, and it might mean the difference between winning or losing the championship, then do it. The sponsors don't want excuses the pit crew was costing Jimmy positions. They want results.

Next week, the #48 crew, being four time champions they are, will step it up a notch and do what they should have been doing all along, keeping pace with the pit crew from the 24. After all, if Gordon's crew could do it, why not Johnson's and if they are the professionals they have shown the world they have been in the past, they will throw it back by beating the best time the 24 pit crew has. Those who take it personally and maybe even walk away are not the guys you want on a pit crew. You want people up to the challenge. The ones you know can and will do better.

It is all business. It is no longer the "good old days" of having an ice cream or a cigarette during a pit stop. With fifteen million dollars as opening funding for a race team, you do what you must to make your team winners. Sponsors are entitled to othing less.
 
I don't agree with doing it during the race. Did anyone notice Jimmie after that happened? Yes the 24 crew would have good stops and get him out good, and then he would lose the spots on the track.
 
It was the right move. These guys are supposed to be professional athletes. In the pros if you don't perform, you get replaced.
 
It's a wake up call for the next race is all it is. In any sport if a player gets benched he usually comes back stronger and more determined the next game. Unfortunately he couldn't ditch one or two guys in the middle of a race because that could disrupt the flow of the crew so replace the entire crew. Smart move by Knaus. Their collective maturity level will dictate how they respond in a week. I'm sure one or two guys got their walking papers this morning.
 
MRM said:
I'll admith I didn't watch much of the race yesterday. I was suprised to hear Chad Knaus benched his pit crew in favor of Gordon's crew. In all my years of watching NASCAR, I don't think I've heard of that, especially over the last 20 years.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out the next two weeks. Will the 48 crew respond and step up their game or will they be looking over their shoulder any time they mess up?
Click to expand...

If i were them I'd be pissed and have my Resume ready for the next available crew jobs coming up.
 
chromehorn said:
It's a wake up call for the next race is all it is. In any sport if a player gets benched he usually comes back stronger and more determined the next game.
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this one. I've seen marquee ball players benched during games for non-performance, why not in NASCAR.

I bet the pit guys will have their act together by next week. Don't know if it was the front tire changer or tire carrier that was the weak link yesterday, but I'd be willing to bet he's gone.
 
What bugs me though is his "win as a team, lose as a team" quote. If you lose as a team, YOUR team's crew should have stayed in the game.
 
I think that this will be real interesting to see how this all plays out over the next couple of weeks. Sure, they do this type of thing in other sports and guys are pretty much interchangeable in most other sports. Is that the same with the over the wall crew in NASCAR? Many of the #48's over the wall crew have been there for all four Championships. There were reports yesterday that had tire changer Mike Lingerfelt leaving the track in anger immediately after the move. The rest of these guys have to be somewhat concerned about their future after being pulled out so easily. We're not talking about them just changing out the front changer. They replaced the whole crew. If they are so easy to be interchanged then why not have just pulled over the front tire changer from the #24 team? There's got to be some concerns on that #48 over the wall crew. IMO it was the wrong move.
 
I think this is hard to compare this to other sports. This would be like making the playoffs, having your offensive line play bad in one game and you acquiring another team's line to replace them at halftime.

I have a feeling NASCAR will issue a new rule for this before the start of next season. If not, this opens up a new can of worms.
 
In other sports they have other guys to play that position. The 48 doesn't have other pit crews. If the 24 had not wrecked the 48 would have used his own crew the rest of the race. Instead Chad basically told them you're only good enough until another crew becomes available. Most of these guys have helped Jimmie to win 3 or 4 of his championships. They have a few bad pit stops and now they're not good enough?
What is this decision going to do to them next week? Are they going to be so busy trying not to make mistakes cause they scared they'll be replaced, that the stops are slower or they even make more mistakes?
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
The rest of these guys have to be somewhat concerned about their future after being pulled out so easily.

They replaced the whole crew. If they are so easy to be interchanged then why not have just pulled over the front tire changer from the #24 team? There's got to be some concerns on that #48 over the wall crew. IMO it was the wrong move.
Click to expand...

Thats the point Chad was trying to make and they should be concerned therefore "get your act together or your gone" is what Chad was saying.

If he were to replace just one guy that would have made it worse. The other guys start over thinking and making dumb mistakes more often, it's in their head at that point. Changing the whole team cuts that out of the equation because the 24 crew wasn't in danger of losing their job so they don't have any worries in the back of their head and go about their business.

To me it was a last ditch effort to get through to those guys, nothing else was working. Chad had a meeting with them after almost every pitstop and that, evidently, wasn't working. It's Chads way of saying "Your not going to listen then fine get out of the way." It's a mental thing that under performing athletes have to deal with on occasion. Some need that kind of message sent or they get complacent.


Anyone who has played a team sport or coached a team should understand what and why he did what he did. It's really no big deal. They will either be much better the rest of the season or replaced by next season. I'm betting that they will be much better next week.
 
I hope they'll be better by next week, because now Johnson needs to win one of the two remaining races to win the Championship.
 
MRM said:
I think this is hard to compare this to other sports. This would be like making the playoffs, having your offensive line play bad in one game and you acquiring another team's line to replace them at halftime.

I have a feeling NASCAR will issue a new rule for this before the start of next season. If not, this opens up a new can of worms.
Click to expand...

I kinda see this the way you do, to me this like the Green Bay Packers not being happy with their Oline, you cant just replace them with Oline from the 49ers. You cant do that in other sports, can you replace players? Sure you can, but only with players on your team. I understand the 24 guys are on their "team", but they are also competing against the 24 car as well.

I dont understand the move....
 
Go Panthers said:
I kinda see this the way you do, to me this like the Green Bay Packers not being happy with their Oline, you cant just replace them with Oline from the 49ers. You cant do that in other sports, can you replace players? Sure you can, but only with players on your team. I understand the 24 guys are on their "team", but they are also competing against the 24 car as well.

I dont understand the move....
Click to expand...

x2
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Four-time defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson had a major shakeup to his race team Monday when Hendrick Motorsports gave him teammate Jeff Gordon's pit crew for the final two races of the season.
Click to expand...

So if Jimmie wins the championship with 2 races left jeffs pitcrew gets the credit for the whole season?
 
So, who will JJ take to the banquet? The crew that got him to race 34 or the crew that bailed him out?

Actually it is a mute point because it isn't over until the fat lady sings. :D
 
I think the #11 crew got into the heads of the #48 crew is what happened to them yesterday.
 
BobbyFord said:
I'm sure Gordon is happy about getting slower pit stops for the last two races :sarcasm:
Click to expand...

Eh he's out of the chase anyways.

Honestly I don't blame Knaus for what he did. He's not in this to make friends, or to protect anyone's feelings. He's there to win. If the pit crew isn't performing up to snuff, then they can sit it out. Maybe Johnson's pit crew can take the off season to run daily drills until they're running the pits so fast even Johnson will say "DAYUM!"
 
SpeedPagan said:
Eh he's out of the chase anyways.

Honestly I don't blame Knaus for what he did. He's not in this to make friends, or to protect anyone's feelings. He's there to win. If the pit crew isn't performing up to snuff, then they can sit it out. Maybe Johnson's pit crew can take the off season to run daily drills until they're running the pits so fast even Johnson will say "DAYUM!"
Click to expand...

It's more likely they will be let go and replaced.
 
sloggie said:
It's more likely they will be let go and replaced.
Click to expand...

well im sure whoever it was that left the pit, definately won't be back.

The crews are contracted IIRC, so it's not like it's all that hard to shuffle them between teams/drop them/gain them
 
sloggie said:
It's more likely they will be let go and replaced.
Click to expand...

Well the new pit crew better practice their butts off in the off season if they want to stay on the team. We've seen now that Knaus is not above benching his own crew if he thinks they're the reason Johnson is falling behind.
 
BobbyFord said:
I'm sure Gordon is happy about getting slower pit stops for the last two races :sarcasm:
Click to expand...

Hey look what happened with Boyer. Harvick got his crew and who ends up winning a race? Boyer
Hey I'm just saying!!! LOL
 
I think that it's completely possible that the #11's game play may have worked - for that race.

They also may be poking a sleeping bear with that #48 team and Johnson has never had to push it all that hard at Pheonix and Homestead - look out!
 
On nascar now last night Rusty said Hendrick had contacted him. This switch had been talked about and was under consideration. With the 24 out they had the perfect opportunity to implement it.

btw Supposedly the crews knew it might happen.
 
SST55 said:
On nascar now last night Rusty said Hendrick had contacted him. This switch had been talked about and was under consideration. With the 24 out they had the perfect opportunity to implement it.

btw Supposedly the crews knew it might happen.
Click to expand...

:confused: Why would Hendrick contact Rusty about this? Sounds likes Rusty may be talking out his a$$. I'm just saying.
 
SpeedPagan said:
Well the new pit crew better practice their butts off in the off season if they want to stay on the team. We've seen now that Knaus is not above benching his own crew if he thinks they're the reason Johnson is falling behind.
Click to expand...

I can see the crew guys getting together and forming a Union soon, i still don't think this was right.
 
I understand that the chase is on the line here.
It's interesting how the 5 and 88 can struugle all year with pit stops, and communication problems, with nothing but accusations flying around the web, and gargage.
As soon as the 48 misses a beat, heads roll, and members get canned, all within the middle of a race, muchless Monday morning, or the end of the season.
I don't think theres any doubt left in my mind where Hendricks desire, and interest lie, and what roll, if any, the 88, and 5 play, as oppossed to the other side of the shop. The playing field is far from level in the HMS shop.
MoMike
 
MoMike said:
I understand that the chase is on the line here.
It's interesting how the 5 and 88 can struugle all year with pit stops, and communication problems, with nothing but accusations flying around the web, and gargage.
As soon as the 48 misses a beat, heads roll, and members get canned, all within the middle of a race, muchless Monday morning, or the end of the season.
I don't think theres any doubt left in my mind where Hendricks desire, and interest lie, and what roll, if any, the 88, and 5 play, as oppossed to the other side of the shop. The playing field is far from level in the HMS shop.
MoMike
Click to expand...

Agreed, but then on the other hand what is Jeffy going to do? He was king of the hill at Hendrick for a long time and IMO still has a Championship or 2 left in him. Purely speculation on my part, but if I were him I'd be looking to either form my own team, or go to Childress.
 
MoMike said:
I understand that the chase is on the line here.
It's interesting how the 5 and 88 can struugle all year with pit stops, and communication problems, with nothing but accusations flying around the web, and gargage.
As soon as the 48 misses a beat, heads roll, and members get canned, all within the middle of a race, muchless Monday morning, or the end of the season.
I don't think theres any doubt left in my mind where Hendricks desire, and interest lie, and what roll, if any, the 88, and 5 play, as oppossed to the other side of the shop. The playing field is far from level in the HMS shop.
MoMike
Click to expand...

I'd venture to guess that if either the #5 or #88 were in the same position as the #48, the same thing probably would have happened. While I don't like what happened this past weekend, I can certainly understand why they did what they did. Personally though, I hope it comes back to hurt their chances somehow.
 
Mopardh9 said:
I can see the crew guys getting together and forming a Union soon, i still don't think this was right.
Click to expand...

Honestly I don't see how feelings should play into this. The over the wall crew wasn't performing up to snuff, they cost Johnson the point lead, Knaus had to do something. So he called in a new crew. With now two races to go, Johnson has to salvage his Championship season if he hopes to win #5. At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself, what is more important, winning championships and races, or being loyal to a crew that may be an anchor around your neck.

Nascar and it's team are a business, they're in it to win it and make money.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I'd venture to guess that if either the #5 or #88 were in the same position as the #48, the same thing probably would have happened. While I don't like what happened this past weekend, I can certainly understand why they did what they did. Personally though, I hope it comes back to hurt their chances somehow.
Click to expand...

Why? I mean why is everyone saying Knaus did a bad thing here? Knaus wants to win, he wants Championship #5, what did you honestly expected him to do? I mean let's be honest, if you were Knaus, and you saw that your pit crew was slowing Johnson down, and you did give them a post-pit stop talk, but it wasn't working, what would've you have done?

Honestly, I'd switch out the crew. I'd told them "Look guys, we're losing our point lead and I'm sorry but y'all aren't performing up to task. So sit this out for the rest of the race and we'll let #24 over the wall team do the pit stops."

Like I said, this is a business, not a feelings or loyalty factory.
 
SpeedPagan said:
Why?
Click to expand...

I'd simply like to see the #48 team fail because I'm not a fan of theirs. I'm rooting for Harvick so I kinda hope this comes back to bite them in the a$$ somehow. Nothing more than that.

If I were a Jimmie Johnson fan, I'd applaud the move.

Now if I were Jeff Gordon fan I'd probably be looking at this differently. I think that I'd be mad that they've now stripped the crew away from the driver that I root for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom