Another "Cheater"


Randyman

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Richard "Slugger" Labbe, Crew Chief for Dale Jarrett's #88 team has been suspended for 4 races, fined $25,000, Jarrett has been docked 25 drivers points and Robert Yates has been docked 25 owners points after it was determined during a post race inspection after the Richmond race that the sway bar on the 88 car had been illegally mounted. If these penalties sound familiar, it is because they are pretty much the same thing Chad Knaus got after the Daytona fiasco, minus the points deductions since Chad's infraction occured during qualifying rather than during the race. Funny part is, Robert Yates was one of the most vocal critics of Knaus at that time, essentially saying Knaus should be banned for life for an illegally modified track bar. No surprise that now that the shoe is on the other foot, Yates is defending the 88 team's actions as a "mis-interpretation" of the rules, and that he will be appealing the ruling. WHAT A HYPOCRITE! shocked.gifblush.gif

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

No kiddin. I can see Yates' view though. How often has the 88 team been penalized? DJ has been driving for them since when, about '97 or '98? Compare all the infractions against the 88 to the number Knaus has had with the 48 in 4+ years. smirk.gif

I think there should definately be a fine and the actions against Labbe are correct. You can compare it to the fine of the 48 at Daytona, but you can't compare it to the many other infractions they've had. wink.gif

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

Every team out there is trying to find an advantage, sometimes when they build a car they don't look at the rule book. A sway bar being mounted wrong is chicken scratch compared to what Knaus tried to pull off at Daytona.

I guess their is a rulebook and the teams should follow the rules, everyone is looking for that advantage over the competition!

I agree too on the inspectors being fined, if they would do their pre-race inspection better none of this would have made the papers. Each week teams have to change their cars after pre-race inspection, nobody hears much about it. Its after the race that they make it a federal case and hand out the fines and take away the points. The sway bar came mounted that way and should have been caught even before the #88 went onto the track for practice!!

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

Wonder what his track record is for cheating ... the comment actually was that Knaus should be banned for cheating , not for adjusting a sway bar only ... I mean this was how many times Knaus cheated .. wonder what Yates record is for cheating ... Knaus is still one of the biggest cheaters out there ... but if you can get away with it ... well then I guess it isnt cheating in the racing world then is it ...

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

Guys,

In the past NASCAR use to have a cheating table where all the cheater parts were tagged and put on display. From illegal bell housings to aluminum pedals. All kinds of things on display to show what is not allowed. Not sure if they still have that table of shame!

Remember when Petty got caught when he tried to smooth out the bottom of his race car to help with downforce and keeping the air out from underneath the car.

Problem with cheating is it drives the sport's price up and makes it hard to compete for the guys who try and play by the rules!!

NASCAR is quickly becoming "CASHCAR"

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

[ QUOTE ]

Every team out there is trying to find an advantage, sometimes when they build a car they don't look at the rule book. A sway bar being mounted wrong is chicken scratch compared to what Knaus tried to pull off at Daytona.

[/ QUOTE ]

What exactly do you think the 48 team did at Daytona? Do you even know? FYI, Knaus illegally modified the track bar so the back window would stick up higher to get more down force on the rear of the car. The 88 team illegally mounted the sway bar (think anti-sway) to help the car stick better in the corners. Still think one is really that much worse than the other? wink.gifconfused.gif

Just for the record, i think they both got what they deserved. grin.gif

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

[ QUOTE ]

What exactly do you think the 48 team did at Daytona? Do you even know? FYI, Knaus illegally modified the track bar so the back window would stick up higher to get more down force on the rear of the car. The 88 team illegally mounted the sway bar (think anti-sway) to help the car stick better in the corners. Still think one is really that much worse than the other? wink.gifconfused.gif

Just for the record, i think they both got what they deserved. grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Umm its under apeal if they even get whatt they passed sown then we can pass judgement ... I think this will be toned way down tto be honest ... the rules are very very vague on what the sway bar ... everyone knows this ... I bet this pretty much goes away ... we wont know until Wed.

Only one got what they deserve because hes the only one that has gotten anything ... 88 still has his chief this week.

Steve

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

[ QUOTE ]

Richard "Slugger" Labbe, Crew Chief for Dale Jarrett's #88 team has been suspended for 4 races, fined $25,000, Jarrett has been docked 25 drivers points and Robert Yates has been docked 25 owners points after it was determined during a post race inspection after the Richmond race that the sway bar on the 88 car had been illegally mounted. If these penalties sound familiar, it is because they are pretty much the same thing Chad Knaus got after the Daytona fiasco, minus the points deductions since Chad's infraction occured during qualifying rather than during the race. Funny part is, Robert Yates was one of the most vocal critics of Knaus at that time, essentially saying Knaus should be banned for life for an illegally modified track bar. No surprise that now that the shoe is on the other foot, Yates is defending the 88 team's actions as a "mis-interpretation" of the rules, and that he will be appealing the ruling. WHAT A HYPOCRITE! shocked.gifblush.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

For one thing....you need to get your facts straight. It was not a post race inspection. It was in pre-race inspection. And here's what Labbe had to say. "We didn't try to hide it from nobody," Labbe said. "We qualified with it, they seen it. All of a sudden they didn't like it. It's a gray area of the rulebook and it's part of the game."

I think NASCAR is being too picky at a simple attempt to try something new. Obviously they can't ask NASCAR if it's ok because they have leaks all over the place and pretty soon everyone would have the advantage and it would be the norm. Chad Knaus on the other hand modified a part to move during racing and cheat in a big way. He never even tried to comply with the rules. He just threw in an extra part. And it wasn't a sway bar adjustment. It was a jack bolt screw. He placed it under the back window so it would raise the window while on the track only and not during inspections. Your story has more holes in it than a Turkish bath house.

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

Copied from Jayski.com

Labbe offered to re-sign from RYR:

#88-Dale Jarrett’s crew chief Richard “Slugger” Labbe this week offered to resign over penalties handed down by NASCAR following last weekend’s race at Richmond. However, car owner Robert Yates rejected the offer. Yates is appealing a $25,000 fine, the loss of 25 driver and owner points as well as a four races suspension of Labbe for the way the rear sway bar was mounted. Labbe said; “It wasn’t that we tried to hide anything…it was out in the open and it’s not something we did after inspection. We went through inspection with it…qualified with it and all of a sudden they didn’t like it. It was on there all day long the day prior and nothing was said so it's tough. I don’t think we were singled out, I think it just caught his (NASCAR inspector) eye and he didn’t like the way it was.” Back in February, in response to the suspension of Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief Chad Kanaus after an illegal part was discovered on the #48 car [Jimmie Johnson] after qualifying, Yates said he would fire any of his crew caught cheating. Labbe told reporters at Darlington; “The first thing I told Robert is I can make it easy for you…I can resign if you want me to…and he’s like…I fully support you 100% and what you did was a grey area of the rulebook.” Labbe went on to say; “I felt bad for Robert because he’s been around this garage for a while and to label someone on his team a cheater really bothers me and I know it bothers him too. So, I feel strongly in saying I’m not a cheater…we pushed the rules like any other team in the garage area and it just got singled out.” Many of his crew members knew what Labbe was doing with that particular part according to Labbe. “I had them (His team) read the rule book and understand my thoughts. Trust me; I just didn’t put it on the car hoping they (NASCAR officials) don’t see it. We talked about it. We worked hard on it and felt comfortable putting it on the car because it was not clearly defined in the rulebook. If they (NASCAR) don’t like it… it’s their game you know…we breathe their air.” The appeal will be heard Wednesday by the National Stock Car Racing Commission.(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(5-13-2006)

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

[ QUOTE ]

Still think one is really that much worse than the other? wink.gifconfused.gif

Just for the record, i think they both got what they deserved. grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I do think one is worse than the other. In baseball, in a player gets busted for drugs for a third time, the penalty is much bigger than for the player who gets busted for the same offense the first time. Knaus has cheated and been caught several times compared to very few times (if any) by the 88.

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

Don't get me wrong. I am not a Dale Jarrett fan but Fair is Fair. You can't compare Knaus to Labbe and say Labbe is a cheater. I think a bias oppinion by being a fan of the 48 and 24 reflects in your oppinion and title of your post. Hendrick is a good organization and I think they have as good a shot as anyone you can name to put a champion on the books this year. But Knaus either feels too much pressure or has too little confidence in his driver to allow him to stay within the blatantly defined rules. I remember a few years back when Stewart had a car parked for the week and taken back to NASCAR headquarters for further inspection and he had to use a backup car and start at the back of the field. Not to mention the fines and points penalties. His involved a deck lid. I think everyone would have felt better if 48 had their car parked as well and been the end of it. Now we just have a lot of bitter hendrick fans everytime somebody else gets called into the truck.

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Re: Another \"Cheater\"

[ QUOTE ]

Wonder what his track record is for cheating

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybee that's why Yates hasn't had a dominant year in a while. blush.gif

Cheating is cheating and as long as the fine fits the punishment I'm fine with it.People are always trying to find ways to get their cars to the front and get around rules no matter what series it is.Almost every team does it and Yates should have kept his mouth shut....now he looks pretty hypocritical.

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