NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Is it Cheatin’, or Competin’?

In NASCAR racing, defining the word “cheating” is as much of an art as actually getting away with.   Back in 1976 after he was caught for rigging his car with nitrus oxide to make it go faster, Darrell Waltrip was quoted as saying, “If you don’t cheat, you look like an idiot.”   Ever since the sport began, mechanics and crew chiefs have been trying to interpret what the rule book says, but more importantly, what the rule book doesn’t say.    

Needless to say, as the crew chiefs continue to get more inventive, the NASCAR rule book continues to get thicker.

Yes, cheating has been around since the sport’s very first race back in 1949.     The 150 mile race, run on a dirt track in Charlotte, was won by Glenn Dunaway.   After the race however, it was discovered that Dunaway had modified the rear springs.   He was disqualified and Jim Roper was declared the winner.

I had the opportunity to spend time with legendary mechanic Smokey Yunick before he passed away in May of 2001.   Smokey was a mechanic that was way ahead of his time and gained a reputation as a perpetual thorn in the side of NASCAR.  Smokey was the master of finding the “gray area” in the rule book.    For instance, back in 1968 NASCAR specified how big a fuel tank could be, but the rule book did not say how big the fuel line could be.   So instead of using a half-inch fuel line like everyone else, Smokey created a two-inch fuel line that was 11 feet long, and held five gallons of gas.     Not cheating says Yunick if the rule book doesn’t tell you not to do it.     Another of Smokey’s inventive moves also involved the gas tank.   NASCAR mandated how much a gas tank could hold, but Smokey got around that rule by placing a basketball in the tank and inflating it with air. NASCAR checked the tank's capacity and cleared it. Then, when no one was looking, Yunick deflated the basketball and now he has a bigger gas tank than his competitors.  

Ray Evernham was another master of manipulating the rule book during his days as Jeff Gordon’s crew chief.   The current equivalent to Smokey Yunick has to be Chad Knaus, Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief.   Knaus has been suspended four times in six seasons.   Back in 2005, NASCAR discovered that Knaus had engineered shock absorbers so ingenious that before penalizing him and declaring the shock illegal, NASCAR even acknowledged how inventive the design was.   In 2006, Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500, after Knaus had been suspended for a device mounted to the rear window that changed its angle, making the car more aerodynamic.  

NASCAR has handed down some pretty big fines and penalties over the years.   One of the biggest ever coming just last season as driver Carl Long and his crew chief Charles Swing were fined $200,000, docked 200 points, and given a 12 week suspension for and oversized engine.    On a positive note, all of the money that is taken in from those fines goes to the NASCAR Foundation for distribution through their charitable activities.  Not saying that it won’t ever happen again, but nowadays NASCAR does not take the win away from a driver for an infraction discovered in post race inspection.   Back in the late 70’s, Bill France, Sr. had decided that whoever won the race in front of the fans would be allowed to keep the win, because he didn't want the fans hearing or reading about a change being made afterwards.    In fact, the last time that NASCAR disqualified a Cup series winner for failing post race inspection was all the way back in 1955.    Fireball Roberts won the Daytona Beach race, but had the win taken away for engine modifications.  NASCAR gave the win to Tim Flock.   

NASCAR has a full force of inspectors at each race, whose job it is to be constantly on the look out for any, and I do mean any rule infractions.     NASCAR is well aware of the fact that every crew chief in the garage is looking for any edge they can find that will help get them to victory lane.   After all, the long standing motto among racers is, “If you ain’t cheatin’, then you ain’t tryin’.”   

Buddy Pittman is the auto racing analyst for Bright House Sports Network. He has covered over 35 Daytona 500s, and puts his expertise to use several times per week in his blog on BHSN.com.