So, after all these years, NASCAR is still finding guys who try to sneak in some performance boost. Micheal Waltrip's car was busted for being on the juice. I heard it was jet fuel, and thats an extremely powerful oxygenator. Adds O2 like a sledgehammer pounds rocks. Hard.
Well, I don't blame the driver, crew chief, or team.... just who said jet fuel wasn't a legal fuel? I'm of the Smokey Yunick school of NASCAR rules, if there ain't a rule against it, it's legal until they catch you... and make a rule against it.
So somewhen after Waltrip ran a great qualifying time for the Daytona 500 (most important race of the season) they do a tear down inspection... "when NASCAR found a suspicious substance in his intake manifold. After three days of examination, it was determined to be a fuel additive designed to enhance horsepower "
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_21264397.shtml
Yeah, jet fuel can do that.
Seriously, when is the France family going to clue in, those aren't anything like stock cars anymore, and probably haven't resembled factory stock cars, sine the 70's. Cripe, Elvis was still alive. The NASCAR race teams do not modify factory cars, run factory engines, or rims, tires, fuel tanks, body styles, etc etc. So why if they do not have any car parts in common with a dealership delivered car, do they have to run anything resembling pump gas? You don't believe for a moment that those cars make 700-900 horsepower on 91 octane do you?
Not that Brian France and family give a damn what the fans want, so long as NASCAR sells advertising... but we'd love to see either
1)dealership delivered race cars,
2)NASCAR drivers race anything they can find in a WalMart parking lot, or
3) race car team owners get free rein to put anything together that will be faster and corner better that the competition.
I vote for paint ball gun turrets in the pop up trunk lids that smear other drivers view, bolt on rocket engines ( http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2006/12/once-men-were-allowed-to-be-men-crazy.html )for momentary blasts past the other cars, and John Force's crew making a car that will lap the field at 300 MPH and stop with BIG freakin parachutes deploying for pit stops, and new packed 'chutes being bolted on for the nextr 20 laps at 300mph. Go John Go!
Meanwhile, back in reality, this is the first time that NASCAR has ever thrown a teams points count into the negative before the season begins. There's something shocking about that.
"We were going to ratchet up penalties and you can see that's happened," Pemberton said. "We'll continue to raise the penalties as time goes forward until we get everybody's attention."
http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070215/SPORTS09/702140405
The Waltrip crew chief and director of competition are both ejected from the Daytona 500, but Waltrip is still in, driving a teammates backup car. Best of luck Mike, give 'em hell and a forehead slap... but for pete's sake own up to it, you risked getting caught, glory in how close you came to getting away with it, don't pull this crap on us...
"While he took responsibility and said he was embarrassed by what has happened, Waltrip reiterated Thursday morning that the problem with his fuel was not something done with his knowledge or sanction by the team.
“What took place was the act of an individual or individuals,” he said. “It’s not a reflection on our team, our organization, our sponsors or our manufacturer.” http://www.thatsracin.com/242/story/2964.html
Keep the bull to yourself, you lose my respect and your dignity by asking anyone to believe the "Mystery Mechanic" made a performance alteration to your race car, in your garage, with your tools, under your hood, without you knowing, or when your entire crew was looking the other way and not watching the million dollar ride you risk your life in at 200mph. Sheesh... go back to where you left them, and put your pair back in your pants when you get out of the car, 'cause you sure have them in place during the races.