Post by dalejrfan on Feb 15, 2006 23:48:11 GMT -5
NASCAR penalty could cause Knaus to miss more than one race, Johnson suggests
Jimmie Johnson hinted Wednesday that his crew chief, Chad Knaus, could miss more than Sunday's Daytona 500 as a result of a rules violation found on the No. 48 Chevrolet after last week's qualifying. Johnson said team engineer Darian Grubb, filling in this week after Knaus was ejected from Speedweeks activities, was going to be on the team's pit box alongside Knaus all year.
"Now he is going to be solo on the box for the next few races," Johnson said. "...(Chad) will be back after just a couple of weeks at home."
NASCAR announced Monday that Knaus had been ejected from this week's activities after finding that the rear window of Johnson's car had been altered after prequalifying inspection. It did not fit the template in that area following Johnson's run, which was the fifth fastest among 58 cars entered in the Daytona 500.
"NASCAR was put into a position to make a ruling and they made it and we're going to live with it and go on and try to do the best we can down here," said Johnson, who will start last in Thursday's Gatorade Duel.
Johnson said he didn't know anything had been done to his car, but said he knows that Knaus and other crew chiefs "are going to work as hard they can to work over all of the gray areas" on their cars.
"We're all flirting with that line, and when you step over that line, it's NASCAR's job to call you out," Johnson said. "They called us out and we're living with the consequences.
"...I hate it for the fans and everyone else watching and listening to think that this stuff puts a black cloud over the No. 48 teams at times. I hate it. I don't like it. Hendrick Motorsports doesn't like it. But in our sport we are paid to push the envelope. ...We had something called against us, we crossed over the line and the decision has been made. I can't sit here and tell you we weren't trying to push the gray area. We got in trouble, it is obvious."
Jimmie Johnson hinted Wednesday that his crew chief, Chad Knaus, could miss more than Sunday's Daytona 500 as a result of a rules violation found on the No. 48 Chevrolet after last week's qualifying. Johnson said team engineer Darian Grubb, filling in this week after Knaus was ejected from Speedweeks activities, was going to be on the team's pit box alongside Knaus all year.
"Now he is going to be solo on the box for the next few races," Johnson said. "...(Chad) will be back after just a couple of weeks at home."
NASCAR announced Monday that Knaus had been ejected from this week's activities after finding that the rear window of Johnson's car had been altered after prequalifying inspection. It did not fit the template in that area following Johnson's run, which was the fifth fastest among 58 cars entered in the Daytona 500.
"NASCAR was put into a position to make a ruling and they made it and we're going to live with it and go on and try to do the best we can down here," said Johnson, who will start last in Thursday's Gatorade Duel.
Johnson said he didn't know anything had been done to his car, but said he knows that Knaus and other crew chiefs "are going to work as hard they can to work over all of the gray areas" on their cars.
"We're all flirting with that line, and when you step over that line, it's NASCAR's job to call you out," Johnson said. "They called us out and we're living with the consequences.
"...I hate it for the fans and everyone else watching and listening to think that this stuff puts a black cloud over the No. 48 teams at times. I hate it. I don't like it. Hendrick Motorsports doesn't like it. But in our sport we are paid to push the envelope. ...We had something called against us, we crossed over the line and the decision has been made. I can't sit here and tell you we weren't trying to push the gray area. We got in trouble, it is obvious."