Swift Action by NASCAR Puts Ryan Newman in The Chase
The decision was unexpected even to the beat reporters who follow NASCAR daily. After Saturday’s race, thing just didn’t look right, something officials missed. By Sunday at the truck race in Iola, Mike Helton, NASCAR’s President, commented that NASCAR was going to review the race and radio transmissions. That was the first clue that something was up. A timeline was not given, however.
Apparently, officials met most of the day, listening to radio transmissions (first brought to light by ESPN) and race tapes along with official race telemetry. I have to assume the decision was that there had to be something wrong.
To refresh your memory, late in the race at Richmond International Raceway, the race that would determine the Chase, a lot of things happened that changed the lineup for the Chase, or what it looked like at the time. With eight laps to go, Clint Bowyer, of Michael Waltrip Racing spun his car for no apparent reason. That brought out a caution when Ryan Newman was leading and apparently on his way to a win and a spot in the Chase. On the ensuing pit stops, Newman got shuffled back. In the meantime, Ty Norris called teammates Bowyer and Brian Vickers into the pits just as the green flag was waving. The result was that their other teammate, Martin Truex, Jr., ended up making the playoffs. Code-filled radio transmissions between the teams made things look very suspicious. It also allowed Joey Logano to make the field and shut out Jeff Gordon.
The meeting resulted in a change, and some would say a just verdict. All three MWR teams were docked 50 points, Ty Norris was suspended indefinitely from participating, and a $300,000 fine. Newman was placed in the Chase in place of Truex. Justice was served except for one tiny matter. What about Bowyer’s punishment? A spin is a spin, and determining if a driver spins out on purpose is nearly impossible. Why didn’t Gordon replace Bowyer? As it is NASCAR’s practice, the point penalties took place in the regular season standings. The 50 points didn’t hurt Bowyer’s place in the Chase, only his seeding. NASCAR was obviously punishing MWR and not the drivers.
This writer is glad NASCAR took a stand in this matter, but I’m totally surprised this hasn’t happened before. When you have a system that leads to one race where multi-car teams have a driver or two close to qualifying, this is bound to happen sooner or later. I’d say NASCAR is lucky it hasn’t happened before. NASCAR and the media push the Chase from the Daytona 500 in February until Chicago in September, and it has become very lucrative financially to teams, mainly because sponsors want their car in the Chase.
So, as it now stands, put Ryan Newman in the Chase and Martin Truex, Jr. on the sidelines. I’m still shaking my head at the events of Saturday night, but I’m glad it was handled swiftly by the sanctioning body.
Michael Waltrip Racing will not appeal penalties handed down by NASCAR
Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway turned into one of the most controversial races in the history of the sport. Fan response to Clint Bowyer’s well-timed and seemingly intentional spin that brought out a late race caution, coupled with an un-needed trip down pit road by Brian Vickers was unprecedented.
Many fans were screaming for NASCAR to do something about what appeared to be an engineered plan from Michael Waltrip Racing to manipulate the outcome of the race to secure a spot in the Chase for team driver, Martin Truex Jr.
Evidently, NASCAR knew their integrity was on the line as they handed down the most severe penalty ever handed out by the sanctioning body.
The penalties included -$300,000 fine levied against the team, 50 owner and driver points deduction for each of the teams three cars (No. 15, 55, 56) and an indefinite suspension for General Manager, Ty Norris, who also serves as the spotter for Brian Vickers No. 55 car.
The points deductions were assessed to the standings retroactively, before the re-seeding for the Chase. The results of those penalties were that MWR driver, Martin Truex Jr., who benefited the most from the incident, was bumped out of the Chase, and Stewart-Hass driver, Ryan Newman, was locked in to the final wildcard spot. Newman seemed to be well on his way to winning the race and securing a spot in the Chase before the caution came out.
The penalties seemed to have been well thought out by NASCAR. The sanctioning body absolutely had to come out strong on this, as the integrity of the sport was being called into questions. Media outlets that usually do not cover the sport, were focusing attention on the issue. Additionally, social media was on fire with criticism of the sports rule makers.
The team released a statement on Monday night shortly after the penalties were announced. From team owner, Michael Waltrip – “What occurred on the No. 55 radio at the end of Saturday night’s race in Richmond was a split-second decision made by team spotter Ty Norris to bring the No. 55 to pit lane and help a teammate earn a place in the Chase. We regret the decision and its impact. We apologize to NASCAR, our fellow competitors, partners and fans who were disappointed in our actions. We will learn from this and move on. As general manager, Ty Norris has been an integral part of Michael Waltrip Racing since its founding and has my and (co-owner) Rob Kauffman’s full support.”
It should be noted that the statement does not address the spin by driver Clint Bowyer because NASCAR stated there was not conclusive evidence that the spin was intentional. The Bowyer spin was more publicized than the Vickers incident due to the fact that it actually brought out the caution. Listening to the radio conversation for Bowyer, he was never actually instructed to spin the car. Therefore, NASCAR could not fairly implement sanctions for that action, even though the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming.
During the radio conversation between Vickers and Norris, it was actually stated that Brian needed to pit to allow Truex to gain a point. After the instruction, there was then an attempt to fabricate a cover story for the action. NASCAR was able to penalize for this because there was no question to intent.
By not appealing the penalty, MWR is taking responsibility for their actions. Hopefully, they will learn from this mistake and the severity of the penalty will send a message to other teams to not attempt such actions in the future. Only time will tell how long it will take the team to gain back the respect of the fans, fellow competitors, and the sanctioning body.
NASCAR Drops Penalty Hammer on Michael Waltrip Racing; Newman Heads to Chase
In an unprecedented Monday evening news conference after the wild Richmond race on Saturday night, NASCAR dropped the penalty hammer on Michael Waltrip Racing.
“Based upon our review of Saturday night’s race at Richmond, it is our determination that the MWR organization attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “As the sport’s sanctioning body, it is our responsibility to ensure there is a fair and level playing field for all of our competitors and this action today reflects our commitment to that.”
Although NASCAR could not determine if the late race spin by MWR driver Clint Bowyer was intentional, that combined with the unusual pitting by MWR teammate Brian Vickers, which was documented on the radio transmissions between him and spotterTy Norris, added up to what the sanctioning body considered a violation of Section 12-4, Actions detrimental to stock car racing.
As a result, NASCAR levied the following penalties:
*The three MWR teams, including the No. 15 of Clint Bowyer, the No. 55 of Brian Vickers, and the No. 56 of Martin Truex Jr. were penalized with the loss of 50 championship driver and 50 championship owner points, respectively.
*NASCAR also fined MWR $300,000, the largest fine that the sanctioning body has ever levied.
*Ty Norris, the Executive Vice President & General Manager of Michael Waltrip Racing and the spotter for Brian Vickers, has been suspended indefinitely from the sport.
*The three crew chiefs, Brian Pattie on the No. 15, Scott Miller on the No. 55 and Chad Johnston on the No. 56 car have also been placed on probation until the season end.
The controversy started after in-car audio and video revealed what appeared to be some sort of exchange in code between Bowyer and his team, leading to a late race spin and caution that changed the entire complexion of the finishing order and the Chase setting.
“(Newman) is going to win the race,’’ spotter Brett Griffin told Bowyer in audio first aired by ESPN.
About 30 seconds later, crew chief Brian Pattie asked Bowyer if his arm was hurting and if it was “hot in there” and then was told to “Itch it.” Shortly after that, Bowyer seemed to have jerked the wheel, sending his No. 15 5-Hour Energy spinning and his teammate Martin Truex Jr. into Chase contention.
Even Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was right behind Bowyer, commented after the race that the spin was suspicious.
“He just spun right out,” Junior said. “That’s the craziest thing I ever saw.”
“He just came right around,” Junior continued. “We were going into (Turns) 3 and 4 … he was hemming around on the brakes and jerking the car around, and then the thing just spun out.”
“It was crazy.”
Because of the point penalties, which were assessed following the Richmond race and not after the Chase seeding, the point total for the No. 56 car piloted by Truex Jr. was reduced to 691, eliminating him from the second Wild Card berth.
This change, which put Truex Jr. in 17th position in points, moved Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 car for Stewart-Haas Racing, up into the Chase field.
“Obviously, we’re very pleased with NASCAR’s decision to provide Ryan Newman’s rightful place in this year’s Chase,” Tony Stewart, Co-Owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, said. “NASCAR was put in a very difficult position Saturday night at Richmond and we commend the sanctioning body for taking the time to do the necessary due diligence to ensure that the right call was made.”
“I am proud that NASCAR took a stand with respect to what went on Saturday night at Richmond,” Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet, said. “I know it was a tough decision to make.”
“With that being said, myself, Matt Borland (crew chief) and this entire No. 39 team are looking forward to competing for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.”
As with any penalty, Michael Waltrip Racing can appeal, however, that still will not re-instate Martin Truex Jr. back into Chase contention. Shortly after the penalties were announced, MWR advised that they would not be appealing the decision.
“What occurred on the No. 55 radio at the end of Saturday night’s race in Richmond was a split-second decision made by team spotter Ty Norris to bring the No. 55 to pit lane and help a teammate earn a place in the Chase,” a statement from Michael Waltrip Racing read. “We regret the decision and its impact.”
“We apologize to NASCAR, our fellow competitors, partners and fans who were disappointed in our actions,” the MWR statement continued. “We will learn from this and move on.”
“As general manager, Ty Norris has been an integral part of Michael Waltrip Racing since its founding and has my and (co-owner) Rob Kauffman’s full support.”
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished sixth at Richmond, his 13th top-10 result of the year, and will start the Chase For The Cup as the top seed.
“Ten weeks from now,” Kenseth said, “I could be holding the Sprint Cup championship trophy. Hopefully, I won’t have to hand it to the champion.
2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 40th in the Federated Auto Parts 400 and has now finished 28th or worse in the last four races. He will start the Chase seeded second, three points behind Matt Kenseth.
“You’ll have to forgive me if I seem a little distracted,” Johnson said. “My wife and I just welcomed our second daughter. Finally, I have a good excuse for a crappy finish.
“Now, that makes two girls who know who their daddy is. Now, I need to convince 11 drivers of the same thing.”
3. Kyle Busch: Busch finished 19th at Richmond, and will start the Chase seeded second, three points behind Matt Kenseth. Kyle’s brother Kurt also qualified for the Chase, and will start 15 points out of the lead.
“I’ve got a brother in the Chase,” Busch said. “Clint Bowyer’s got a ‘homey’ in the Chase.
“NASCAR is investigating Bowyer’s ‘spin.’ Was it an accident, or was it ‘Clin-tentional?’
4. Carl Edwards: Edwards nabbed his second win of the year, leading 46 laps on his way to the win in the Federated Auto Parts 400. His second win of the year gave him the fourth seed in the Chase, nine points behind Matt Kenseth.
“I guess I have to thank Clint Bowyer for spinning,” Edwards said. “It probably cost Ryan Newman the race. Apparently, Tony Stewart isn’t the only driver who’s screwed Newman this year.
“I ‘flipped off’ my car after the race. Newman and Jeff Gordon ‘flipped off’ Bowyer.”
5. Joey Logano: Logano finished 22nd at Richmond, one lap down, as Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski failed to qualify for the Chase. Logano will start the Chase seeded sixth, 12 points out of the lead.
“It’s too bad about Brad,” Logano said. “I relayed my sentiments on Twitter to @sucks. But Brad is a great teammate. I’m not sure he’d spin for my sake, but he did pick me to win the Sprint Cup. Hopefully, it won’t be the Kes’ of death.
6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick came home 11th at Richmond as Richard Childress teammate Paul Menard finished fifth. Harvick will start the Chase seeded fourth, nine points out of first.
“I’m the only RCR driver in the Chase,” Harvick said. “And no Clint Bowyer spin, intentional or otherwise, could have changed that.”
7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished 13th at Richmond, failing in his last chance to win before the Chase For The Cup. Earnhardt will head to Chicagoland tied for the bottom seed in the Chase.
“On the bright side,” Earnhardt said, “Time Warner Cable will sponsor my car for five races. Of course, a lot of satellite users may have a point when they say, ‘You can’t win with cable.’ My fans have been waiting a long time to say, ‘It’s about ‘Time.’’ Unfortunately, it’s got nothing to do with my first win in a long time.
8. Clint Bowyer: With Ryan Newman leading with six laps to go, Bowyer mysteriously spun, and the ensuing chain of events enabled Bowyer’s Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Martin Truex, Jr. to make the Chase field.
“Many want to know if my arm is hurting,” Bowyer said. “The answer is ‘yes.’ My arm is hurting, because Truex won’t stop shaking my hand.”
9. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 12th at Richmond as Roush Fenway teammate Carl Edwards took the win. Biffle will start the Chase sixth, 12 points behind top seed Matt Kenseth.
“I may be the least-talked about Chaser,” Biffle said, “but I think I can it all. My gas man seems to agree, because even he calls me ‘silent but deadly.’”
10. (tie) Kurt Busch: Busch led 73 laps and finished second at Richmond to sew up a spot in the Chase For The Cup. He will start eighth in the Chase, 12 points out of first.
“NASCAR is investigating Clint Bowyer’s fishy spin,” Busch said. “Was it a case of team orders? I know all about team orders—that seems to be how I got my job with Stewart-Haas Racing because Stewart wasn’t too fond of it.”
10. (tie) Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished 14th in the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond. He will start eighth in the Chase, 12 points behind top seed Matt Kenseth.
“I had a pretty good view of Bowyer’s spin,” Kahne said. “He just lost it—-his self-respect, that is.”
A Spin-Out For A Teammate To Get A Chase Spot, Why Not?
I haven’t been around for quite awhile due to health reasons, so some of you might remember me and some of you may not. I did a newsletter called Race Fans Stock Car News for almost twelve years up until the first two or three months into 2012. I am sure I have wrote at least a hundred commentaries and I have been writing and tossing them away. But after the Richmond race that locked in the Chase, I decided this is one I could not toss out.
After I write this, some of you may wish that I crawl back into a hole and not come out and write anymore but I doubt that I do. I am too stubborn and am used to negative and positive feedback. I am back and I have God and many prayers to thank for this come back from these many months of ups and downs and I thank the many who have wrote me even telling me not to write back but just letting me know you were thinking about me. You can’t imagine how much this has meant, especially from my long time racing buddies from back into the 90’s. You always know who sticks with you when times are tough.
Okay, enough about where I have been but before I say what I am going to about Saturday nights race in Richmond. I know some will agree with me along with others that questioned the post race “woohoo”, also shared the same opinion as I. There will also be many who will not agree with my opinion about Clint Bowyer’s mysterious spin-out while Newman was leading and about to win the race. A win would clinch Newman a spot in the Chase. Bowyer in my opinion did it intentionally.
Bowyer knew if he brought out a caution, there was a chance that he might stop Newman from winning and clinching the Chase spot. If that happened, it would put his teammate Truex in the right spot and Michael Waltrip racing (MWR) would have two in the Chase. Bowyer had nothing to lose. He was already locked into the Chase. Well, his spin-out worked but I call it real down and dirty racing Bowyer.
The what I call intentional spin-out changed a lot to the outcome of the race. A bad spit stop after that caution admitted by Newman made him finish in third place behind Edwards who came out the winner. But if you had not did your spin-out, Newman would not have had to pit. Newman would not have had to stop and get a bad pit stop.
Your buddy Truex, ended up in seventh place which caused a tiebreaker claiming the second “Wild Card” over Newman. This spin-out not only affected Newman. Your spin-out affected Jeff Gordon who came out minus two points and being replaced in the upcoming Chase this week at Loudon by Joey Logano. Did you sleep good last night Mr. Bowyer? I hope you did. I am sure your owner slept really good. Who knows, this was probably talked about should the opportunity to help Truex out if the opportunity should arise and it did. You cheated.
You know up until last night, you were one driver I liked with a list of several others. I don’t dislike any driver, I just have my favorites in numerical order and you went to the bottom of all of the drivers whose last name end with a B. You were not my favorite and to be honest, this year was the first that you seemed to take on a pleasant personality. I thought perhaps maybe it was a good dose of “Duck Dynasty,” being around those honest, God loving men had an effect on you. Well what you did in Richmond showed me I was wrong. Mikey (Waltrip) was all smiles. Who would blame him. But when Michael Waltrip was a driver and not the big owner/part time superspeedway driver, I don’t think he would have intentionally done what you did.
You are real lucky being right in front of Dale Earnhardt Jr. that your spin-out did not take him out or any other innocent driver that could have been effected. You did enough damage to Newman and Gordon.
Those who millions saw being asked post race like Rusty Wallace and Ray Everham said it looked very suspicious Bowyer. When Dale Jr. was asked post race, he said he was wondering what was wrong with your car which was right in front of him as you began going all over the place. The overhead camera clearly showed that Dale Jr. never touched your car to make you spin-out. In your interview which was short and sweet, you tried to put the blame on everything. You even tried to blame it on Dale Jr. and just turned and walked away. Did you eyeball the leaderboard and know who was leading and who had to be where and where each driver had to finish? Were you that smart? I am sure of one thing, you knew that Newman definitely did not need to win. You made sure of that.
I hope NASCAR reviews the spin-out over and over the next two or three days with you Mr. Bowyer, along with your owner, and Mr. Newman and his owners. I would tell them up front that no one was to utter one word but just to view the film of the spin-out from all angles including your in car cam, and the sound of his engine, then leave. It might be good to have Dale Jr. and Mr .Hendrick there also since you tried to put blame on Dale Jr. and show the overhead view of your two cars prior to your accidental spin-out. After viewing all of this I would have everyone leave and for once, just for once NASCAR, let your conscious do justice.
The right thing to do NASCAR is to take big points from Mr. Bowyer, MWR and/or remove him from the Chase and put in Newman in the Chase. Maybe if more harsh punishments like this were done, this cheating crap would stop.
Agree or disagree with me. There is one word that will come back to bite the guilty one someday and that is KARMA.
