Eury, Jr rips NASCAR over unclear COT rules, defends Hendrick crew chiefs
Quote selected text Published July 4th, 2007 in NASCAR News
Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s crew chief Tony Eury, Jr is unhappy over the way NASCAR is policing the new rules for the ‘Car of Tomorrow’ and is letting NASCAR know it.
Eury, Jr is just coming off the first COT-related suspension for illegal brackets placed on the No. 8 at Darlington six weeks ago and sees the latest penalties handed down to Hendrick crew chiefs Steve Latarte (Jeff Gordon) and Chad Knaus (Jimmie Johnson) as unfair.
“Everybody [in the garage] is scared to death, saying ‘Where do I cross the line?’ said Eury, Jr. And there’s going to be guys that cross it. It’s like [Chad Knaus and Steve Letarte] — they didn’t know they were crossing it. They stepped out in the street and a bus hit ‘em. That ain’t right.”
Nextel Cup director John Darby isn’t apologizing. He said Tuesday the sanctioning body is merely following up on a promise.
“The problem I have with all [the criticism] is … don’t act surprised,” Darby said. “We told the world where we were going. We told the teams what we were going to do before we did it. Now all we’re doing is backing up what we told everybody, and we’ll continue to do that.”
For the record, Eury understands and accepts his penalty, despite lingering frustration that, in his opinion, the illegal brackets placed on the No. 8 at Darlington were actually a disadvantage. The penalties levied against Knaus and Letarte, though?
“My deal? Yeah, I’ll take my six weeks and [$100,000] and go on,” Eury said. “That’s what I should’ve got. But what [NASCAR] did to the 24 and 48, I think [NASCAR] blindsided everybody and put everybody on pins and needles.”
Eury, Jr admits that the current trend of NASCAR’s rule book is getting more restrictive thus diminishing the enjoyment factor.
“That’s my biggest [problem]. I think [NASCAR's] trying to light a fire under everybody, but they’re also creating a problem for themselves. It’s been getting less and less fun the last three years. And all [NASCAR's] doing is making it worse.”
Eury said he’s all for reducing the number of cars in a team’s fleet. He appreciates the thought that teams can run the same car at Infineon and Daytona. But there have to be alteration tolerances for the teams.
“There’s a way to do this together,” he said. “We can paint lines and say ‘That guy is wrong, this guy’s right.’ Right now it’s [NASCAR's] way or no way. It needs to be all of us working together to determine what works and what don’t.
“I was 2,000 miles away [from Sonoma] and knew exactly what [Knaus and Letarte] done, and I said, ‘Hell, that’s no big deal.’ I want some lines painted. I honestly don’t think those guys did anything wrong. NASCAR does, though, and it’s their ballgame.”
Bookmark to:
- Eury, Jr will be Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s crew chief at Hendrick
- Eury, Jr steps down as Dale Earnhardt, Jr’s crew chief to start Hendrick job
- Tony Eury, Sr leaves DEI for JR Motorsports
- Eury, Jr to leave DEI for Hendrick after Talladega
- Eury Sr. staying on as JR Motorsports crew chief
BRAVO TONY BRAVO, WAY TO TELL NASCAR.
Thank god someone steped up and said something again, nascar is getting out of hand. I hate how they play god.
To bad nascar will end up screwing over Eury Jr. somehow because of his remarks towards nascar.
For sure here comes another point penalty, hell he is even or probabtion watch they we will even ban him for the rest of the year. but won’t make difference cause tony gibson knows what tony is like and will do pretty much the same thing, kind of like football he knows the playbook.
bout time somebody grew a pair and lashed out at nascar’s neck.
Chris, you pegged it perfectly, well said. -Waits to see what they
dish out at him under false pretenses now because of these comments.-
Finally someone not scared to speak the truth
i agree with chris
THANK YOU TONY ITS ABOUT TIME SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING.
When Tony Eury, Jr starts to stand up to NASCAR, maybe some of the rest of the crew chiefs, drivers, and owners will do the same. One champion has already voiced his disappointment with NASCAR because of their fiasco. The fans of NASCAR need to remind Brian France, Mike Helton, Jim Hunter, John Darby and Robin Pemberton that like it or not while they may be the boss of NASCAR, without the fans in the grandstands who buy tickets, purchase memorabila and support our drives, NASCAR IS NOTHING. Soon or later, not only are the fans going to get tired of NASCAR’s attitude of “My way or no way” and their inability to write clear rules, so are the drivers and then where will NASCAR be. We said that if DEI let Dale, Jr get away, DEI would become a museum, sounds like Brian France and the team in Charlotte want to take NASCAR down the same road. If NASCAR wants the cars so equal, why not do a NASCAR IROC, let them build the cars and engines, and hand them to the teams when they get to the track. While the new COT may be safer, it sure has not done what it was supposed to — save teams money. It is one huge experiment that they still can’t figure out. NOW IT IS THE TEAMS AND THE FANS WHO MUST SUFFER, NASCAR GET REAL — NO FANS means NO NASCAR.
Ya know what he can kiss NASCAR’s ass b/c he’s wrong…they told everyone that the penalties would be harsh, they finally followed up n thier word. The COT was meant to level the playing field and when cheaters like him and Hendrick’s are trying to work their way around it, that’s not what NASCAR envisioned andset out to do with the new car. So he can keep whining while I applaud NASCAR for actually being consistent with something for a change.
“Eury, Jr admits that the current trend of NASCAR’s rule book is getting more restrictive thus diminishing the enjoyment factor.”
thats the quote i have a problem with. by restricing every team to the same set of rules, it makes winning much more challenging (instead of hendrick cars sweeping every race) and now takes more skill.
I agree Nick B, they all had fair warning and anyone who doesn’t think that Cheatin’ Chad and Letarte didn’t know exactly what they were messing with also believe that HMS can do no wrong. Remember that Eury is also a CC so of course he won’t agree with it.
Anyone who hasn’t been around the sport for very long should compare the current car with the car they originally approved, and it should become apparent why they need to police the COT like they are. Pushing the envelope a little here and a little there is what got the current car so out of whack.
Personally, I want to see the drivers skill, his ability to communicate with his CC, and the CC be able to take that info and hit the right setup, on that day, win the race. Not who can afford the most wind tunnel time and has the best aerodynamic package.
JMO’s
Way to go Tony, You got a big set, I hope nascar doesn’t penilize you for it!!!
LDadrenaline,
i think Tony Jr. is referring to the fun the crew chiefs have trying to work within the gray areas to improve the cars. with this COT, it limits what a crew chief can do to make the car fast.. its now up to the drivers to get up on the wheel and make things happen [which was what it was supposed to do]. i think he means that it takes the fun out of it for him as a crew chief.. not necessarily for everyone else.
By reading what has already been said it’s clear that this little cross section of race fans thinks NASCAR is playing GOD with the rules to a unhealthy level.
Tony Jr. has put in words what is at the essence of all good crew chiefs and that is to tweak, massage, alter an just plane squeeze until they get every ounce of better out of there race car. Its in there blood to tinker till its better than the other guy car. that’s why they are crew chiefs, NOT CHEATERS.
With NASCAR hobbling their creative with the cars to the point of making a 1 car for all mold you are back to a IROC type of racing and we all know how well that worked.
NASCAR must find a way to let the teams have there OWN CAR and not a NASCAR CLONE ONE SIZE FITS ALL CAR.
Rember people this is how NASCAR came into play with a bunch of guys hopping up cars to run shine and out run the law…
Nice to hear from a crew chief about what has been taking place with the COT and all the of the crew chief’s in the garage. I can only imagine how frustrating they all fell and the fear that they are going to cross that invisiable line that only the NASCAR officials can see and get hit by that bus. He is right some lines need to painted, and it needs to be clearer for these guys. It is that simple.
Of course Tony is going to take up for Gordon and Johnson’s crew cheif. I’m sure everyone knows that he
wants to move to Hendrick with Jr.
Nick B “So he can keep whining while I applaud NASCAR for actually being consistent with something for a change.”
So im guessing you think it was consistent that Gordon and Johnson lost 100pts, 100K, 6 weeks w/out crew chiefs for failing PRE-race inspection and then have 2 guys failed AFTER-race inspection and get a 25pt reduction?
Im sorry but if you fail an AFTER race inspection at a COT, you would think that would be more of a cheating issue then failing PRE race inspection when they went back and made it legal before the race.
If you call that consistent, ill call you Brian France.
well if nascar does penalize tony again. then its bullshit, wat the hell happened to freedom of sppech
Declining TV ratings, low attendance, and NASCAR still hasnt learned their lesson
Chris well said!
and i gotta say thank you tony it is about time someone said something. Brian France thanks he is god and hes not. that guy makes me sick.
funny how most of you were rooting for NASCAR when they first gave johnson and gordon penalties but oh well.. i think NASCAR is doing right.
You go Tony….someone who’ll speak the truth and who isn’t afraid!
Of course Tony is picking on NASCAR, but why? Is it because he’s really pissed or because he’ll be working with those guys next year? Either way he’s not stupid for doing so. I give him credit.
Yea for Nascar for finally stepping up to the plate…it is about time that the CC are going to be made to understand what the penalty means when they have been suspended for trying to get around the rules that were set in place before the season began. It is really strange how it is mostly Hendrick teams that are getting caught trying to bend the rules. I guess they think they are invincible and should be able to do anything that they want and get away with it…May I remind you that this is Chad’s second suspension in two years?????? What is up with that. Way to go Nascar.
All of you are exactly right. Nascar has just forgotten their roots.
1. TV has made NASCAR what they are. Now the only thing that matters is $$$$$. The quality of the broadcast is not important. When I have more knowledge of the race than the announcers calling the race, NASCAR/TV is in trouble.
2. NASCAR has total control of the winner of the (race?). cautions at the whim of NASCAR? Debris, where? “Competition cautions” lets get real folks, when did the FED’s give the Rum runners a time out to adjust the carb’s?
3. Points for an explicative from a driver, come on these guys earn the right to express themselves, sure bleep it, but points, come on get real.
4. Points and money for mods that are not even covered in the rules. Make up rules as they go. Just not fair. After all, just think, the sport was built on the basis of taking a good car and making it better. We have the IROC for identical cars, who likes that? Safety, sure, let them dictate. Creativity, engineering, sweat, and blood, leave it alone.
5. Muzzling the drivers and crew chiefs, ridiculous. As I’ve said before, Smoke, Jr, Mark Martin,Jeff all chastised for critical NASCAR statements (true as they are) to the point that they don’t talk except the party line. How fun is that.
Does anybody remember the Yarbrough - Allison fight? Does anybody think that was offensive? Does anybody think that lessened the sport? Hardly, it made the sport. NASCAR now says we have to control emotion, be gentlemen, speak the party line. Well I say Bull S—!
These guys are out there race after race, watching the likes of Kyle Busch wreck himself and take out real racers and have no recourse. How long would have he lasted with #3 or BP, or the King, or Donny Allison, or Kale.. Come on NASCAR, remember your heritage!