2007 NASCAR Gatorade Duel scandal
Encyclopedia
The 2007 NASCAR Gatorade Duel Scandal was a collection of various allegations of cheating in the 2007
NASCAR
Gatorade Duel
s, the qualifying event for the Daytona 500
.
) Rodney Childers (#10 Valvoline Dodge Charger
) and Josh Browne (#19 UAW
/Dodge Dealers Charger) were suspended for Daytona and the following week's race at Fontana
, fined $25,000 (US
), plus both their teams and drivers (Scott Riggs
for the #10, Elliott Sadler
for the #19) were penalized 25 championship points due to an illegal modification that was corrected before qualifying in pre-qualifying inspection. It was worse for crew chiefs Kenny Francis (Evernham Motorsports #9 UAW/Dodge Dealers Charger) and Robbie Reiser (Roush Fenway Racing #17 DeWalt
Ford Fusion) teams. Both were suspended for Daytona and the next three races, fined $50,000, and their teams and drivers (Kasey Kahne
for the #9 and Matt Kenseth
for the #17) were penalized 50 champsionship points due to illegal modifications found in post-qualifying inspection. In addition, due to the modifications, their qualifying times were disallowed. (Kenseth had the 11th-fastest time in the opening round, while Kahne was 28th.http://www.jayski.com/stats/2007/grids/2007duels-grid.htm) The penalty to the #10 team would drop it out of the top-35 in owners points.
and Bobby Kennedy, competition director for Michael Waltrip Racing (#44 and #55) and Waltrip-PPI Racing (#00) were ejected from the track by NASCAR officials. Earlier, the intake manifold from Waltrip's #55 car had been confiscated by NASCAR when "an unknown substance" was found in it during post-qualifying inspection. When a new manifold was installed and the engine test-run, the same substance was found in the new manifold, resulting in NASCAR impounding the entire car and disallowing Waltrip's qualifying time, which was 25th fastest. Just before 6 PM US EST, NASCAR held a press conference at which it was announced that both Hyder and Kennedy were suspended indefinitely, Hyder fined $100,000, Waltrip docked 100 championship points, and the team, owned by Waltrip's wife, Buffy, were docked 100 car owner points for violations that included a violation of the rule prohibiting the blending of gasoline with "alcohols, ethers, or other oxygenates." Waltrip was permitted to compete in the first Gatorade Duel qualifying race in a backup car. He finished eighth, which was high enough to qualify the car for the Daytona 500.
As a result of the penalty, Waltrip became only the second driver to ever have a negative score in the championship standings. He finished Daytona with -27 points, as his 30th-place showing, worth 73 points, did not compensate for the 100-point penalty. This remained his score until June 4, when he finally made his second start of the year at Dover International Speedway
in the Cup series' 14th race. Meanwhile, Kennedy was fired from MWR in April 2007.
, driver of the Hendrick Motorsports
#24 DuPont
Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS had been found to be one inch too low because of misaligned bolts on a shock absorber
. Due to the official's belief that the violation was unintentional, he kept the win, but would start 42nd in the Daytona 500.
, saw the following point readjustments based on the penalties handed out:
On March 6, appeals for Kenseth by Roush Fenway Racing and Kahne by Evernham Motorsports were denied by the three-member panel that oversees NASCAR's disciplinary action. Before that, Kenseth had been able to climb to 12th in the standings after winning the Auto Club 500 with interim crew chief Chip Bolin.
As of October 2007, neither NASCAR nor MWR has specified what substance was found in Waltrip's engine.
2007 in NASCAR
The 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season began on February 10, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on November 18 of that same year at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup began with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire...
NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Gatorade Duel
Gatorade Duel
The Gatorade Duel is NASCAR Sprint Cup Series preliminary event to the Daytona 500 held annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. It consists of two races, and serves as a qualifying race for the Daytona 500...
s, the qualifying event for the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
.
Pole qualifying
Evernham Motorsports team directors (equivalent of crew chiefPit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
) Rodney Childers (#10 Valvoline Dodge Charger
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
) and Josh Browne (#19 UAW
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
/Dodge Dealers Charger) were suspended for Daytona and the following week's race at Fontana
Auto Club 500
The Auto Club 400 is a long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Prior to 2005, the race was held in late April or early May, and until 2010, the race was run at a length of 500 miles. When the NASCAR Realignment of 2005 was made, the race...
, fined $25,000 (US
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
), plus both their teams and drivers (Scott Riggs
Scott Riggs
Russell Scott Riggs is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #81 Dodge Charger for Whitney Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.-Early career:...
for the #10, Elliott Sadler
Elliott Sadler
Elliott William Barnes Sadler is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is one of only 23 drivers to have won in each of NASCAR's top three series...
for the #19) were penalized 25 championship points due to an illegal modification that was corrected before qualifying in pre-qualifying inspection. It was worse for crew chiefs Kenny Francis (Evernham Motorsports #9 UAW/Dodge Dealers Charger) and Robbie Reiser (Roush Fenway Racing #17 DeWalt
DeWALT
DeWalt is a worldwide brand of power tools for the construction, manufacturing and woodworking industries. It is a subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker.- History :...
Ford Fusion) teams. Both were suspended for Daytona and the next three races, fined $50,000, and their teams and drivers (Kasey Kahne
Kasey Kahne
Kasey Kenneth Kahne is a NASCAR driver. He drives the #5 Farmers Insurance Group Chevrolet Impala for Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series....
for the #9 and Matt Kenseth
Matt Kenseth
Matthew Roy "Matt" Kenseth is an American stock car driver. Kenseth currently drives the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing...
for the #17) were penalized 50 champsionship points due to illegal modifications found in post-qualifying inspection. In addition, due to the modifications, their qualifying times were disallowed. (Kenseth had the 11th-fastest time in the opening round, while Kahne was 28th.http://www.jayski.com/stats/2007/grids/2007duels-grid.htm) The penalty to the #10 team would drop it out of the top-35 in owners points.
Michael Waltrip Racing
On February 14, three days after the first round of qualifying, David Hyder, the crew chief for Michael WaltripMichael Waltrip
Michael Curtis Waltrip is a semi-former professional race car driver, co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, and a published author. He is the younger brother of three-time NASCAR champion and racing commentator Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip is a two-time winner of the Daytona 500; having won the race in...
and Bobby Kennedy, competition director for Michael Waltrip Racing (#44 and #55) and Waltrip-PPI Racing (#00) were ejected from the track by NASCAR officials. Earlier, the intake manifold from Waltrip's #55 car had been confiscated by NASCAR when "an unknown substance" was found in it during post-qualifying inspection. When a new manifold was installed and the engine test-run, the same substance was found in the new manifold, resulting in NASCAR impounding the entire car and disallowing Waltrip's qualifying time, which was 25th fastest. Just before 6 PM US EST, NASCAR held a press conference at which it was announced that both Hyder and Kennedy were suspended indefinitely, Hyder fined $100,000, Waltrip docked 100 championship points, and the team, owned by Waltrip's wife, Buffy, were docked 100 car owner points for violations that included a violation of the rule prohibiting the blending of gasoline with "alcohols, ethers, or other oxygenates." Waltrip was permitted to compete in the first Gatorade Duel qualifying race in a backup car. He finished eighth, which was high enough to qualify the car for the Daytona 500.
As a result of the penalty, Waltrip became only the second driver to ever have a negative score in the championship standings. He finished Daytona with -27 points, as his 30th-place showing, worth 73 points, did not compensate for the 100-point penalty. This remained his score until June 4, when he finally made his second start of the year at Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Dover, Delaware, owned by, and serving as the corporate headquarters of, Dover Motorsports, Inc. It is co-located with a harness racing track, Dover Downs, and shares the complex with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino...
in the Cup series' 14th race. Meanwhile, Kennedy was fired from MWR in April 2007.
Duel Race #2
In a post-race inspection following the second Gatorade Duel qualifying race, race winner Jeff GordonJeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
, driver of the Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...
#24 DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS had been found to be one inch too low because of misaligned bolts on a shock absorber
Shock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
. Due to the official's belief that the violation was unintentional, he kept the win, but would start 42nd in the Daytona 500.
Aftermath
The race, won by Kevin HarvickKevin Harvick
Kevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
, saw the following point readjustments based on the penalties handed out:
- Sadler: Finished 6th, was 11th in points, 65 points behind Harvick.
- Kahne: Finished 7th, was tied for 23rd, 94 points behind.
- Kenseth: Finished 27th, was tied for 40th, 157 points behind.
- Riggs: Finished 37th, was 42nd, 163 points behind.
- Waltrip: Finished 30th, was 43rd, 217 points behind, becoming the first driver in NASCAR history to begin a season with a negative point total following the Daytona 500 race (-27 points), and second of three drivers to carry a negative point total for a race (Jeremy MayfieldJeremy MayfieldJeremy Allen Mayfield is a former NASCAR driver who last competed in 2009 due to legal troubles and an indefinite suspension by NASCAR. Prior to 2009, Mayfield drove cars for the Sadler Brothers, T.W. Taylor, Cale Yarborough, Michael Kranefuss, Roger Penske, Ray Evernham, Bill Davis, and Gene Haas...
carried -26 points following the 2000 DieHard 500Aaron's 499The Aaron's 499 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car auto race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The race has always been held in late April or early May. The Aaron's 499 is also one of four races currently run with restrictor plates, the others being the AMP Energy 500,...
after a similar fuel violation.) Carl LongCarl LongJames Carlyle Long is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup race car driver and mechanic who is currently returning from suspension after a violation on his car during the 2009 Sprint All-Star Race weekend. Prior to his suspension, he was a crew member on the #34 Front Row Motorsports Cup team...
had a 200 point penalty during the Coca-Cola 600Coca-Cola 600The Coca-Cola 600, formerly known as the World 600, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held each year at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on Memorial Day weekend...
weekend in 2009, after which he did not start a race, which resulted in him finishing the season with (-200) points.
On March 6, appeals for Kenseth by Roush Fenway Racing and Kahne by Evernham Motorsports were denied by the three-member panel that oversees NASCAR's disciplinary action. Before that, Kenseth had been able to climb to 12th in the standings after winning the Auto Club 500 with interim crew chief Chip Bolin.
As of October 2007, neither NASCAR nor MWR has specified what substance was found in Waltrip's engine.