Rusty says 'they're cheatin'

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17_Fan

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:rolleyes:

Dale Earnhardt might have had the fastest car at Daytona, but he didn't win the post-race chassis dyno test. The wind-tunnel numbers of Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevys haven't been much more impressive than those of rival Chevys. So the Winston Cup garage here has been filled with speculation and almost disbelief at how dominant Earnhardt and winner Michael Waltrip were.

The secret, however, seems easy. The two drivers were able to drive deeper in the corners because their cars did not have the aero push that forced other drivers to back off much more than anticipated. In fact, this 500 seemed to be much more of a handling race than expected, with few if any other drivers able to flat-foot it through the turns, according to car owner Mark Harrah.

Of course just how Richard 'Slugger' Labbe, Waltrip's crew chief, got his car to handle so well has rivals baffled. According to some, part of the trick is in the rear of the new Monte Carlo.

One rival says the new Chevy is slicker on the rear end in the wind tunnel by 15 counts of drag, which at Daytona should be about two miles per hour.

While Waltrip and Labbe lost their Daytona 500 car to Daytona USA, Labbe says his 500 backup car, the one he will take to Talladega, is two-tenths of a second quicker. "When Junior unloaded so fast, I said 'Oh no, I've picked the wrong car,'" Labbe said. "Because our other car was so much faster. But it bottomed out too much, so I decided to go with the other car."

Dodge's Rusty Wallace fanned the flames of suspicion yesterday when he insisted that Chevy teams were fudging: "Four or five of them were cheating really, really hard and didn't get caught. The NASCAR guys know it, and they're out for them when they get to Talladega."

Chevy's Ty Norris, general manager at Dale Earnhardt Inc., didn't take kindly to Wallace's remarks. "He must be talking about somebody else," Norris said with a hard face. "But, no, it doesn't tick me off. They've changed the rules about five times since we started winning restrictor-plate races, and we've won seven of the last nine. Our guys put a lot of effort into it and don't get complacent about our plate racing."

Steve Hmiel, DEI's technical director, was more pointed: "If we were cheating real hard, then we've cheated real hard seven out of the last nine races. I've got enough respect for the NASCAR guys that if we were doing that much they would have caught us. Our program is just like Rusty's program - good bodies, good engines, smart race-car drivers, good pit stops."


http://www.journalnow.com/wsj/sports/MGB98HYWGCD.html
 
Why is it when a driver speaks his opinion it's called crying? Does anyone here have more experience, time on the track, in the pits?
 
The same reason when DEI wins at 'Dega and Daytona its called cheatin'.

All part of the game.
 
Good stuff there.....not Whining at all, it is just his opinion.....just like we all have our own on here.
 
I'm sure good old Rusty is playing exactly by the rules too. :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by 66mustang@Feb 22 2003, 10:22 PM
I'm sure good old Rusty is playing exactly by the rules too. :rolleyes:
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Well, if he's cheating, he ain't doing much of a job of it now is he?
 
There several things things I consider wrong about this entire story and scenario.

First it was written by Mike Mulhern. Deduct credibility points right off the bat.

Second, how does Rusty know that some number of unnamed Chevy teams are cheating "really really hard"? IF he knows what they are doing why doesn't he just do the same thing, keep his mouth shut, and go out and whup their butt on the track? If he says they are chaeating just because they are going fast, he knows no more than you or I.

How does Rusty know NASCAR is aware of it? Did Helton, Nelson, Darby or someone say "Rusty, we know those boys are illegal and we're gonna get 'em at Talledega." ? I find that conversation unlikely.

Lastly, it's a not smart in the least to even start such a thing on Rusty's part. First off he is accusing his fellow competitors of cheating, and by implication saying he is pure and clean. A "fact" NASCAR might strive mightily to disprove over the next few weeks. Why would NASCAR do such a thing? Because he is also saying either that NASCAR knows about the cheating and is doing nothing or he is saying that NASCAR is just too dem stupid to figure it out. Either way he's painting the body in a bad light. Either way this deal plays out, I see Rusty putting himself and his team in a corner at some point.

On the other hand maybe Rusty has seen the light and will lead the entire stock car racing world to a better way, but I would not count on it.
 
"Super Rusty...The Newest Superhero...Defender of all that is true and just in this world"

I can just hear the theme music in the background. Trumpets blaring, etc.

:rolleyes:
 
Well in my opinion Yes I think DEI and RCR is cheating.... but so is every other driver out there Look at the fines nascar handed out along with Rustys carb, just DEI and RCR aint got caught yet
 
Originally posted by pettyfan4life@Feb 23 2003, 10:16 AM
Well in my opinion Yes I think DEI and RCR is cheating.... but so is every other driver out there Look at the fines nascar handed out along with Rustys carb, just DEI and RCR aint got caught yet
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Rusty pleaded innocent by ignorance in the 'carb case'. :cuckoo:

I like Rusty, but sometimes the mouth runnith' over!
 
...hmmm...I think that Larry Wallace story is more significant. Now, I'm not sure the Mopars will see the rpm I was expecting with the Penske switch. Going to Toyota maybe??? Doesn't Penske have an open wheel relationship with Toyota?

Look out!
 
who would sign a contract with a 3 year no competition claus in it?
 
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