Haas CNC crew chief Barker says wing mounts have been the same all year
Quote selected text Published May 26th, 2008 in NASCAR News
Crew chief Bootie Barker said he’s been running all season the same wing mount setup on Scott Riggs’ #66 Chevy that was confiscated on Saturday after NASCAR officials decided it was illegal. He reminded that the car passed two inspections on Thursday and wasn’t impounded until somebody in the garage fingered Riggs’ team and Haas CNC racing teammate #70-Johnny Sauter.
“I’m not going to make any excuses,” Barker said before Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “The car is my responsibility. But if you knew the whole story it would be like, ‘Hmph.’ I do myself more harm than good if I say anymore.” Series director John Darby said NASCAR began looking into the allegations on Thursday night. “All I know is the mounts were not in the same place as they were Thursday morning when they went through inspection,” Darby said.
Darby said both teams are likely to face a punishment similar to what Dale Earnhardt Jr’s team did last season after problems were discovered with the wing mount at Darlington. Earnhardt was docked 100 championship points and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. fined $100,000 and suspended for six races. Barker believes he knows who turned the team in. “I wish I could tell you some stuff,” he said. “It would probably work against me until I know everything. The person I think that did it, and what we really did, it’s pretty … I’ve never done it. I’ll put it that way.”
Bookmark to:
- Riggs, Sauter penalized 150 points each for wing mount violations at LMS
- Riggs, Sauter caught for illegal wing mounts, moved to rear of 600 field
- Haas team appealing NASCAR penalties for rear wing infractions
- National Stock Car Commission upholds Haas CNC penalties
- Riggs says NASCAR penalties ‘don’t fit the crime’
Damn Mayfield ratted them out. I don’t know that to be true but a lot of times a former or disgruntled former employee will let the cat out of the bag. Bootie believes someone said something and he’s pretty sure who that somebody is. Bootie claims they passed inspection twice with those mounts. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
What possibly could Mayfield have to gain by “ratting out” Haas? He is a driver that is actively looking for a ride, so don’t you think he would have a lot more to loose by stirring up trouble? I think he was implying that it was another team in the top 35 battle. He said, “it’s pretty … I’ve never done it. I’ll put it that way.” That tells me he’s talking about another crew chief or he wouldn’t have compared the actions with things he does. I also know, for a fact, Jeremy has not set foot in the Nascar garage since leaving Haas.
First of all, I stated that I didn’t actually know if Mayfield did it. He is a former employee of Haas and might have an ax to grind. He was fired from three teams since July of 2006. He was an underachiever at Penske and should’ve done better at Evernham. He is a backmarker in everything else he drives. Yes he is looking for a job but I don’t see a line forming for his services. Nothing a former employee or NASCAR does surprises me anymore. I wouldn’t be surprised if and when a name comes out. Paybacks are a bitch.
A driver is actively looking for a ride but doesn’t show up in the pits at any track? How active could he be? And someone here said they know for a fact Jeremy has not been in the garage area since he was fired from Haas. It’s a fact? We are to take your word as true? We were wondering how you back up that claim? Please share your information with the rest of us. Thank you.
What difference does it make who ratted them out?
It probably doesn’t matter Sam. Bootie was probably caught off guard and is pretty sure he knows who did it. He probably realizes he could’ve messed with the finger pointer but didn’t because it just might make things worse for more than a few indivduals or teams. I think by Bootie being quiet he is saying something.
In this sport you have to point other people out so you get stuff, whether its you getting away with something because the officials are too busy looking into who was ratted out, or if its your team gaining a point advantage because a team was penalized.
Heck in smaller racing series (you know the ones that don’t take your entire car when something is wrong) often times you’ll make something so obviously illegal that the officials spend all their time looking at that and miss all the other illegal stuff you have on your car.