Carl Edwards docked 100 points, loses crew chief for 6 weeks

Atlanta Motor Speedway -- 03/09/08

Author: GRiPEX

Published: Friday Mar 7 2008 10:28am

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Carl Edwards has been docked 100 driver and owner points, fined $100,000 and most importantly, his crew chief Bob Osbourne has been suspended for 6 weeks. The points and the cash aren't a huge deal this early in the season, but losing Bob Osbourne off the pit box is a huge blow. This year Nascar makes sure that the suspended crew chiefs aren't in the parking lot in a motorhome, or the infield, text messaging back forth with the team. They are sitting back home in Charlotte.

Edwards #99 Ford Fusion was found to be in violation after post race inspection. The cover of the oil reservoir was found off, the bolt holding it on wasn't in place. This has been one of the latest cheats alot of the Nationwide and Cup teams have been using lately to allow air under the car, to escape into the cockpit of the car, creating more downforce (less air under the car, equals less lift). Losing your crew chief is bad under normal circumstances, but losing your leader while still adjusting and trying to figure out the COT is huge. Its possible that Edwards will have a decent piece to start with as the Roush-Fenway camp has definately made improvement over the off season with the COT. But will replacement crew chief Chris Andrews be able to keep Carl in contention as the track changes at Atlanta? Robbie Reiser will be joining Andrews on the #99 pit box on Sunday, both Andrews and Reiser(ex #17 crew chief) and very capable but will they be able to be the calm in Carl's ear like Osbourne is.

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GripexA little update on this, both Dale JR and Elliott sadler say that Carl edwards infraction was definately on purpose and meant to cheat. Dale Jr thought it was funny that Edwards was denying it.
TrackRatWell if I was Nascar I would be checking Dale JR`s and Elliott`s oil reservoir cover too. One has to question the motives of two people so pointedly saying what he does was done for the sole purpose of cheating.
RacechickI didn`t know they did this kind of thing. Thanks for the informative article. Wouldn`t something like leaving the cover of the oil reservoir off be kind of dangerous for the driver?
HotRodMikeThere are tons of articles coming out about how Nascar teams are all doing things like this to try and get around the rules and get the smallest advantage over the next team.