M
MOEJOE
Guest
NASCAR Rule Breaking, Real And Imagined
1954-55
Driver Tim Flock quits racing in 1954 after NASCAR founder "Big Bill" France rules Flock's race-winning Daytona car is illegal two years in a row. Flock, a former moonshine runner from Georgia, joins forces with car owner Carl Kiekhaefer prior to Daytona Speedweeks in '55 and wins 18 races that season. ironically, Fireball Roberts beat Flock at Daytona that year, only to be disqualified himself.
1955-56
Kiekhaefer's cars dominate NASCAR Grand National (now Winston Cup) Series, leading other teams to claim he is cheating. "Not once were we able to find any of Carl's cars illegal," France would later say, "and brother did we try!"
1962
Big Three U.S. automakers resume open support of NASCAR racing, which triggers a horsepower war, creative rules interpretations, and in later years, manufacturer's boycotts.
1967
To help cut down on cheating, NASCAR introduces body templates, which race cars must conform to, Prior to the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, 49 of 50 cars entered flunk initial tech inspection. The only car to pass is Bud Moore's entry, driven by LeeRoy Yarbrough.
1968
Yunick's Chevelle is ruled illegal prior to the Daytona 500, with NASCAR officials citing everything from an improper frame to a raised floor, prompting a monumental battle between Yunick and NASCAR founder France. Later that season, David Pearson is disqualified from a race when his car is found to be 200 pounds underweight.
1972
Country and Western singer turned part-time stock-car racer Marty Robbins has his 18th-place finish in the Winston 500 at Talladega disallowed for running an, illegal carburetor. Track officials become suspicious when Robbins turns race laps 15 mph faster than his qualifying speed.
1973
Charlie Glotzbach is found to have an illegal carburetor plate in his car, which won the pole for the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bedlam ensues after the race when the cars of race-winner Cale Yarborough, runnerup Richard Petty and third-place finisher Bobby Allison all have their engines torn down after the event. Some 25 hours after the race is over, Yarborough is declared the winner, even though there are allegations that the first and second-place cars were running oversized engines. Allison threatens to sue, but later recants after meeting with NASCAR President Bill France Jr. "I have received satisfactory restitution, and you can read that any way you want," is Aliison's only comment.
1974
After winning the season-ending race at Ontario, Calif,, Bobby Allison's Roger Penske-owned AMC Matador is found to have illegal valve lifters. The win stands, as do the points, but the team is fined $9,100.
1976
After Daytona 500 qualifying, the times set by A.J. Foyt, Darrell Waltrip and Dave Marcis are "disallowed" by NASCAR. Marcis' car allegedly used a movable air deflector in front of the radiator, while the cars of Foyt and Waltrip were alleged to have used nitrous oxide. After the National 500 that same year at Charlotte, Bobby Allison's race-winning engine is initially ruled to be over the 358 cubic-inch limit. But after it fully cools, the motor passes a second inspection and the victory stands.
1985
Greg Sacks shocks the NASCAR community by winning the Firecracker 400 in a Gardner Racing "research and development" car that features a number of "experimental" parts. Crew chief on the car is Gary Nelson, who later becomes NASCAR's Winston Cup Series director. Sacks never wins another Winston Cup race and it is widely suspected - though never proven - that his car was illegal.
1991
Junior Johnson and crew chief Tim Brewer are suspended for four races for running an oversize engine in The Winston.
1993
Prior to the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, Ken Schrader's Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is found to have a blatantly illegal carburetor, designed to bypass the restrictor plate. Schrader and car owner Papa Joe Hendrick are suspended for four races, though the suspension is subsequently lifted.
1995
At Talladega in April, Ricky Rudd and crew chief Bill Ingle are fined a total of $50,000 - the biggest fine in the history of the sport - for using an illegal hydraulic jack to lower the rear end of Rudd's Ford to reduce aerodynamic drag. Less than two months later, Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Ray Evernham is fined $60,000 after the Coca-Cola 600 for "using suspension parts that did not meet NASCAR's standards." Lesser fines handed down that year included $5,000 each for the crew chiefs of Darrell Waltrip and Joe Nemechek for modifying roof flaps, and $10,000 to the Stavola Brothers for having holes in the roof roll bars.
1996
NASCAR cracks down on teams prior to the season-opening Daytona 500, fining numerous teams for rules violations, including
Junior Johnson, who was slapped with a $45,000 penalty for not having the inset portion of the intake manifold of Brett Bodine's Ford welded; Car owner Bill Davis and driver Randy LaJoie were fined $35,000 for a movable hydraulic deck lid; Joe Nemechek was fined $5,000 for having notches cut in his air cleaner; Jeff Hammond was fined $5,000 for having 18 pounds of an "exotic metal" loose in Greg Sacks' car; also, at least eight teams had parts confiscated, including fuel cells, oil tanks, flywheels and fuel filters.
1997
NASCAR officials literally cut the roof off Jeff Burton's car prior to the Winston 500 at Talladega because the roof flaps are improperly located. Crew chief Buddy Parrott is fined $20,000. Three days after John Andretti wins the Pepsi 400 at Daytona - his first win as a driver and the first as car owner for Gale Yarborough - his crew chief, Tony Furr, is fined $50,000 for using illegal carburetor studs prior to the race. The illegal studs were not used in the race itself.
Last but not least
Jeff Gordon wins The Winston in a Hendrick Motorsports R&D car dubbed the "T Rex" after its one-race-only sponsor, "Jurassic Park." In a ruling that some people on both sides find vexing, "T Rex" is dubbed legal by NASCAR inspectors at The Winston, but the team is told not to race the car again. Ever.
1954-55
Driver Tim Flock quits racing in 1954 after NASCAR founder "Big Bill" France rules Flock's race-winning Daytona car is illegal two years in a row. Flock, a former moonshine runner from Georgia, joins forces with car owner Carl Kiekhaefer prior to Daytona Speedweeks in '55 and wins 18 races that season. ironically, Fireball Roberts beat Flock at Daytona that year, only to be disqualified himself.
1955-56
Kiekhaefer's cars dominate NASCAR Grand National (now Winston Cup) Series, leading other teams to claim he is cheating. "Not once were we able to find any of Carl's cars illegal," France would later say, "and brother did we try!"
1962
Big Three U.S. automakers resume open support of NASCAR racing, which triggers a horsepower war, creative rules interpretations, and in later years, manufacturer's boycotts.
1967
To help cut down on cheating, NASCAR introduces body templates, which race cars must conform to, Prior to the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, 49 of 50 cars entered flunk initial tech inspection. The only car to pass is Bud Moore's entry, driven by LeeRoy Yarbrough.
1968
Yunick's Chevelle is ruled illegal prior to the Daytona 500, with NASCAR officials citing everything from an improper frame to a raised floor, prompting a monumental battle between Yunick and NASCAR founder France. Later that season, David Pearson is disqualified from a race when his car is found to be 200 pounds underweight.
1972
Country and Western singer turned part-time stock-car racer Marty Robbins has his 18th-place finish in the Winston 500 at Talladega disallowed for running an, illegal carburetor. Track officials become suspicious when Robbins turns race laps 15 mph faster than his qualifying speed.
1973
Charlie Glotzbach is found to have an illegal carburetor plate in his car, which won the pole for the National 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bedlam ensues after the race when the cars of race-winner Cale Yarborough, runnerup Richard Petty and third-place finisher Bobby Allison all have their engines torn down after the event. Some 25 hours after the race is over, Yarborough is declared the winner, even though there are allegations that the first and second-place cars were running oversized engines. Allison threatens to sue, but later recants after meeting with NASCAR President Bill France Jr. "I have received satisfactory restitution, and you can read that any way you want," is Aliison's only comment.
1974
After winning the season-ending race at Ontario, Calif,, Bobby Allison's Roger Penske-owned AMC Matador is found to have illegal valve lifters. The win stands, as do the points, but the team is fined $9,100.
1976
After Daytona 500 qualifying, the times set by A.J. Foyt, Darrell Waltrip and Dave Marcis are "disallowed" by NASCAR. Marcis' car allegedly used a movable air deflector in front of the radiator, while the cars of Foyt and Waltrip were alleged to have used nitrous oxide. After the National 500 that same year at Charlotte, Bobby Allison's race-winning engine is initially ruled to be over the 358 cubic-inch limit. But after it fully cools, the motor passes a second inspection and the victory stands.
1985
Greg Sacks shocks the NASCAR community by winning the Firecracker 400 in a Gardner Racing "research and development" car that features a number of "experimental" parts. Crew chief on the car is Gary Nelson, who later becomes NASCAR's Winston Cup Series director. Sacks never wins another Winston Cup race and it is widely suspected - though never proven - that his car was illegal.
1991
Junior Johnson and crew chief Tim Brewer are suspended for four races for running an oversize engine in The Winston.
1993
Prior to the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, Ken Schrader's Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is found to have a blatantly illegal carburetor, designed to bypass the restrictor plate. Schrader and car owner Papa Joe Hendrick are suspended for four races, though the suspension is subsequently lifted.
1995
At Talladega in April, Ricky Rudd and crew chief Bill Ingle are fined a total of $50,000 - the biggest fine in the history of the sport - for using an illegal hydraulic jack to lower the rear end of Rudd's Ford to reduce aerodynamic drag. Less than two months later, Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Ray Evernham is fined $60,000 after the Coca-Cola 600 for "using suspension parts that did not meet NASCAR's standards." Lesser fines handed down that year included $5,000 each for the crew chiefs of Darrell Waltrip and Joe Nemechek for modifying roof flaps, and $10,000 to the Stavola Brothers for having holes in the roof roll bars.
1996
NASCAR cracks down on teams prior to the season-opening Daytona 500, fining numerous teams for rules violations, including
Junior Johnson, who was slapped with a $45,000 penalty for not having the inset portion of the intake manifold of Brett Bodine's Ford welded; Car owner Bill Davis and driver Randy LaJoie were fined $35,000 for a movable hydraulic deck lid; Joe Nemechek was fined $5,000 for having notches cut in his air cleaner; Jeff Hammond was fined $5,000 for having 18 pounds of an "exotic metal" loose in Greg Sacks' car; also, at least eight teams had parts confiscated, including fuel cells, oil tanks, flywheels and fuel filters.
1997
NASCAR officials literally cut the roof off Jeff Burton's car prior to the Winston 500 at Talladega because the roof flaps are improperly located. Crew chief Buddy Parrott is fined $20,000. Three days after John Andretti wins the Pepsi 400 at Daytona - his first win as a driver and the first as car owner for Gale Yarborough - his crew chief, Tony Furr, is fined $50,000 for using illegal carburetor studs prior to the race. The illegal studs were not used in the race itself.
Last but not least
Jeff Gordon wins The Winston in a Hendrick Motorsports R&D car dubbed the "T Rex" after its one-race-only sponsor, "Jurassic Park." In a ruling that some people on both sides find vexing, "T Rex" is dubbed legal by NASCAR inspectors at The Winston, but the team is told not to race the car again. Ever.
