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Thursday, 23 October 2008 08:27 |
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Brian Vickers' car was randomly selected for additional inspection after the race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday
NASCAR found that the side sheet metal of the car did not meet the minimum thickness requirement. The bodies of the CoT must be made from 24-gauge (.025-inch thick) sheet steel and the #83 car  was less than that.
Brian Vickers' crew chief Kevin Hamlin and the car chief, Craig Smokstad, of the #83 Red Bull Toyota have been suspended indefinitely from NASCAR and Hamlin has been fined $100 grand. That's harsh, I wonder if they'll ever get back into NASCAR.
Officially they were in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-2.1-D (exterior sheet metal body parts did not meet the specified minimum thickness) of the 2008 NASCAR rule book. - source nascar.com
Vickers and car owner Dietrich Mateschitz lost 150 driver and 150 owner points each as well.
According to nascar.com the thin sheet metal could have made the car 50 - 70 pounds lighter and would allow the team to use lead weights to put that lost weight back into the car in other lower places giving the car a lower centre of gravity that would allow it to turn better in the corners.
Sounds great, until you get caught. I wonder how many other teams are doing this? I know this isn't new in any sense, but it appears that teams are still doing it, including the #83 Red Bull team.
Photo Credit: daylife.com
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