Widespread engine problems hit Sprint Cup teams
Quote selected text Published February 14th, 2008 in NASCAR News
All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers — #48-Jimmie Johnson, #24-Jeff Gordon, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #5-Casey Mears — will start in the back of the field in Thursday’s 150-mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500 after their engines were replaced on Wednesday afternoon. Jeff Andrews, HMS’s head engine builder, said the problem appears to be related to a batch of lifters. The problem also was discovered in the cars of #78-Joe Nemechek and #87-Kenny Wallace of Furniture Row Racing, and #66-Scott Riggs and #70-Jeremy Mayfield of Haas Racing. All four are powered by HMS engines. But the problem wasn’t contained to HMS.
Toyota is bringing new engines from California for #44-Dale Jarrett and #84-A.J. Allmendinger. Joe Gibbs Racing is bringing new engines for #20-Tony Stewart and #96-J.J. Yeley. Yeley, who drives for the JGR satellite team Hall of Fame Racing, has replaced two engines since arriving at Daytona. Because the problem appears consistent among both manufacturers officials are speculating it is related to coating on the lifters that could have come from the same vendor.
“We took engines back after the Bud Shootout, they look really good, looked great,” Andrews said. “So we are looking at a batch issue right now and trying to sort through some things to get the guys in Charlotte pointed in the right direction.”
Chad Knaus, the crew chief for pole-sitter Johnson, said coating on the cam shaft appears to be getting on the lifters and filtering throughout the engine. “Definitely by Sunday we’ll have it all squared away,” he said. Johnson, Nemechek and Mears were slated for the first three starting spots of the first qualifying race with Earnhardt fifth before the engine changes. Riggs was eighth, meaning a lot of fast cars will begin the 60-lap event at the rear. Gordon would have started sixth in the second race that will determine the starting lineup behind Johnson and Michael Waltrip, who earned the front row for the 50th running of the 500 on Sunday. There also was an engine change in Clint Bowyer’s Richard Childress Racing #07 Chevrolet because of a broken rod.
Richie Gilmore, who heads up the program that supplies engines for RCR and Dale Earnhardt Inc., said Bowyer’s problem was not related to what the others experienced. But because of those problems Gilmore said he’ll look over all three RCR and all four DEI cars before the qualifying races. “Everybody is going to be pulling stuff apart,” he said. “It might be a bigger issue.”
- Hendrick sends engines back to shop
- Sprint Cup teams to use smaller restrictor plate at Talladega
- Dodge plans to phase in new Sprint Cup engine
- Hendrick cars to start at back of qualifying races due to engine problems
- Toyota Submits Engine to NASCAR
Strange that the problems are only with chevy and toyota seeing how toyota bought out a chevy team and chevy driver
See! Dale Jr’s still tearing up motors! Some things never change
JEFF DONT GET MAD YOUR A KURT BUSH FAN OR A FAN OF A DRIVER NOT IN THE TOP 35 …THESE PUNKS CANT QUIT HATEING ON DALE JR SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE!!!!!!!!!
It’s not just Junior tearing up motors there is about 15 teams in total that have had motor problems. Junior only drives one of those cars and only controls the throttle on one of those cars, so your wrong there. From what I have heard is that it is the company that makes the coating on the lifters put out a bad batch of the coating. They obviously didn’t realize it. The coating is flaking off and causing steel to rub against steel, not good.
PS- I didn’t read this article here so if I’m just repeating what the article said I’m sorry to be redundant. I read it somewhere else.
Well Brendon, that shows the intelligence of your answer (and no, not being sarcastic). Its not some NASCAR conspiracy, its simply a supply issue. You know the ford and dodge guys are gonna be doin the same thing too, just to make sure
Dangit, I was hoping more people would get pissy about my comment, but I guess not… I personally hope Jr has a hell of a season in ‘08 (not as good as my boy Smoke, though). He’s off to a good start, having just won the first heat of the Duels!
Jeff wrote:
Actually Hamlin won