Post by dalejrfan on Nov 6, 2005 0:55:52 GMT -5
Biffle angry at Johnson going through testing 'loophole'
JUSTIN, Texas - Whether it's his version of Chase for the Nextel Cup gamesmanship or genuine outrage, Greg Biffle believes Hendrick Motorsports violated at least the spirit of NASCAR testing rules by having Jimmie Johnson in a No. 25 car in Phoenix.
"Johnson was driving the 25 car," Biffle said. "Does he race the 25 car? Why was he driving the 25 car?"
Brian Vickers drives the No. 25 Chevrolets for the Hendrick team. Johnson drives the No. 48 Chevys.
"Vickers wasn't even there," Biffle said. "And this isn't the first time. Everybody knows that they do it. ... I watched Chad Knaus (Johnson's crew chief) on TV brag about they saved all their tests for the Chase. It's not his test."
Biffle is third in the Chase standings, 32 points behind Johnson and 75 behind leader Tony Stewart going into Sunday's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
NASCAR limits the number of one- and two-day tests each Cup team can do at tracks on the schedule. Many teams with championship aspirations save their sessions for late in the year so they can go to tracks in the Chase and prepare for races in the 10-race "playoff" to determine the title.
"I was there filling in for the No. 25 team," Johnson said. "You can go back and look at other examples of driving filling in for teams. The No. 20 car (Stewart's) was there with a No. 80 on the side of it, with the 20 hauler, 20 team and 20 everything. But Denny Hamlin was driving it.
"We go to NASCAR, we ask what we can do. We ask how we can help our teammates out and fill in. They tell us if it's right or wrong. So we're doing all that we can and we went down there and tested."
Biffle said the problem is with how NASCAR policies the testing rules.
"Where the problem lies is the big red trailer," Biffle said. "Because anybody can police something like that. 'OK, drivers, you can't test another car other than your number.' Simple, it's over. Testing policy is fixed. How hard is that?"
NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the Hendrick teams violated no rules at the Phoenix test. He said NASCAR has allowed such substitutions to allow teams flexibility in case injuries or sponsor commitments complicate testing schedules. The situation, which Hunter called a "loophole," would likely be addressed by new testing limits NASCAR plans to implement for next season.
Biffle said his team used its final test at Phoenix. All five of Roush Racing's Cup teams are in the Chase, so swapping drivers out for test is not an easy option.
"Could we go to Homestead and test a No. 71 car and then enter Todd Kluever in the thing?" Biffle said. "Yeah, but we're not going to play that game."
JUSTIN, Texas - Whether it's his version of Chase for the Nextel Cup gamesmanship or genuine outrage, Greg Biffle believes Hendrick Motorsports violated at least the spirit of NASCAR testing rules by having Jimmie Johnson in a No. 25 car in Phoenix.
"Johnson was driving the 25 car," Biffle said. "Does he race the 25 car? Why was he driving the 25 car?"
Brian Vickers drives the No. 25 Chevrolets for the Hendrick team. Johnson drives the No. 48 Chevys.
"Vickers wasn't even there," Biffle said. "And this isn't the first time. Everybody knows that they do it. ... I watched Chad Knaus (Johnson's crew chief) on TV brag about they saved all their tests for the Chase. It's not his test."
Biffle is third in the Chase standings, 32 points behind Johnson and 75 behind leader Tony Stewart going into Sunday's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
NASCAR limits the number of one- and two-day tests each Cup team can do at tracks on the schedule. Many teams with championship aspirations save their sessions for late in the year so they can go to tracks in the Chase and prepare for races in the 10-race "playoff" to determine the title.
"I was there filling in for the No. 25 team," Johnson said. "You can go back and look at other examples of driving filling in for teams. The No. 20 car (Stewart's) was there with a No. 80 on the side of it, with the 20 hauler, 20 team and 20 everything. But Denny Hamlin was driving it.
"We go to NASCAR, we ask what we can do. We ask how we can help our teammates out and fill in. They tell us if it's right or wrong. So we're doing all that we can and we went down there and tested."
Biffle said the problem is with how NASCAR policies the testing rules.
"Where the problem lies is the big red trailer," Biffle said. "Because anybody can police something like that. 'OK, drivers, you can't test another car other than your number.' Simple, it's over. Testing policy is fixed. How hard is that?"
NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the Hendrick teams violated no rules at the Phoenix test. He said NASCAR has allowed such substitutions to allow teams flexibility in case injuries or sponsor commitments complicate testing schedules. The situation, which Hunter called a "loophole," would likely be addressed by new testing limits NASCAR plans to implement for next season.
Biffle said his team used its final test at Phoenix. All five of Roush Racing's Cup teams are in the Chase, so swapping drivers out for test is not an easy option.
"Could we go to Homestead and test a No. 71 car and then enter Todd Kluever in the thing?" Biffle said. "Yeah, but we're not going to play that game."