Your Fourth of July NASCAR News and Notes

Truex's Car Impounded: Martin Truex Jr.'s primary car was impounded yesterday after it failed tech inspection when its roof did not match the templates set by NASCAR. That meant Truex and his team had to go to a backup car which meant they missed first practice and didn't get a chance to run second practice due to the rains that came on Thursday night. Truex was none too happy about the situation.

�Somebody made a big mistake,� said Truex. �That shouldn�t happen at this level of auto racing, but people make mistakes. We�ll go on.�

�It�s tough when you miss practice. Two hours of practice isn�t much to begin with, you miss one hour and it�s tough to catch up if you�re not right.�

Truex unhappy with team [Speedtv.com]

S**t happens, Chad Walter: Crew Chief for Jr Motorsports number 5 car, Chad Walter, was fined by NASCAR for dropping the s-bomb on live television during last Saturday's Nationwide race at New Hampshire. Walter recevied a $10,000 fine, while the team suffred a loss of both 25 driver and owner points. Chad Walter is also on probation and will have to have a bar of soap in his mouth until December 31st.

Boy, what a bullshit call. What? It's not like they can fine me, too. [Source: Jayski.com]

Amirola in the 8 for 2009: Dale Earnhardt Inc. announced that Aric Amirola will drive the full time in 2009. *Yawn* This is news? [Source: DEI PR]

Hylton and Kerry Earnhardt to race at Daytona tonight: The 1,000 year old man James Harvey Hylton and the lovable Kerry Earnhardt will particpate in the Nationwide Race. Kerry will drive a DEI car while Hylton will drive for Johnny Davis' car. [Source: Jayski.com]

Stewart still mulling over options

Boy, Tony Stewart must love the attention he is getting these days with no wins this season (more on that to come later) and lot options when it comes to picking up a ride next year. And now with Casey Mears being released from Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the year, Tony may have another option.

"There's no one in the garage area that's not going to look in that direction," Stewart said. "You've got to look at it. Absolutely."

Of course it is most likely that Mark Martin will take over the 5 ride at Hendrick Motorsports in 2009, but Stewart feels like the opportunities to maybe get a ride at Hendrick are still open and may affect his search for what ride he wants in 2009.

"It may be pushed back even more." Stewart said. "We'll wait and see. It's however long it takes to make the right decision. There's a lot of variables to look at. We've got all the information except what happened today. The good news is we still have time to look at it."

Stewart interested in filling Mears' spot at Hendrick Motorsports [ESPN.com]

Stewart maybe looking at sponsorship for Haas CNC team

Of course you've all heard by now that Tony Stewart may be looking into buying into the troubled Haas CNC team. Well sponsorship for those teams may be lining up already. ESPN.com has been reporting that if Stewart joins Haas CNC he may be sponsored by Office Depot or Old Spice, there have also been speculation that Stewart may leave Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the year and Joey Lagano may come to Sprint Cup racing sooner than expected because of Stewart's absence. Of course Stewart is mum on the situation and Joe Gibbs Racing says that Tony isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

The second question is who will join Tony at Haas CNC if such moves do happen. Rumoured drivers include Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr., both drivers have contracts that expire at the end of the year. It also rumored that Truex may bring his Bass Pro sponsorship with him from DEI. UPS also may sponsor the second the car.

But for right now everyone is waiting for Tony Stewart's move and he isn't budging.

With Haas partnership possible, Stewart has eye on sponsorship [ESPN.com]

HASS CNC Penalties uphled by NASCAR

NASCAR upheld the penalties on the Haas CNC racing teams that were given out back during the Coca-Cola 600 weekend when both of their cars had wing mounts the were illegally placed, the team had their cars confiscated and heavy fines and suspensions were handed out to them.

The team then appealed last week to have their severe penalties lessened, but NASCAR disagreed and upheld the penalties, so that means that both teams penalties with the loss of 150 driver and owner point, the $100,000 fine and suspensions of both the crew chief and car chief for six weeks will not change.

I think this a good call by NASCAR to uphold these penalties, these teams need to learn that NASCAR doesn�t want teams to screw around with these cars and until they get the clue not to mess around with them, I only expect the penalties to be harder and more severe in the future.

National Stock Car Commission upholds Haas CNC Penalties (Scenedaily.com)

Haas-CNC Motorsports to appeal penalties

The Hass-CNC team has announced that will try to appeal the penalties handed down to thier teams after NASCAR found that the rear wing brackets on their cars were placed illegally.

Hass-CNC find thierselves in deep shit with both of the cars outside the top 35 in owners points meaning they'll have to quaify on time for this weekend's race in Pocono. There also without thier primary crew chiefs and car chiefs for another five weeks. Not to meantion the fact that their owner, Gene Haas is in jail for tax evasion and that the team may be for sale and that Tony Stewart may have to buy them out.

Haas teams to appeal penalties for altering Chevrolets (ESPN.com)

Pow, right in the kisser

NASCAR lowered the boom on the Haas CNC team today giving out 150 driver and owner point penalties to both teams. Both teams will lose their crew chiefs and car chiefs for six weeks and both teams will lose $100,000 each.

NASCAR has been saying now for quite a while that as time marched on and more people comitted these kind of violation that the penalties would only get harder. Just goes to show kiddies that cheaters never win.

NASCAR heavily fines HASS CNC Racing teams, takes 150 points from each (SceneDaily.com)

Barker says rear wing brackets on Haas cars have been the same all year

Bootie Barker claims that the wing mounts on the two Haas CNC cars that were confiscated on Saturday are the same as the mounts that have been used on the two HASS CNC cars all season. Barker also said that the car passed all inspections before the cars were confiscated.

"I'm not going to make any excuses," Barker said before Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "The car is my responsibility. But if you knew the whole story it would be like, 'Hmph.' I do myself more harm than good if I say anymore."

Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said NASCAR began looking into the allegations on Thursday night. "All I know is the mounts were not in the same place as they were Thursday morning when they went through inspection," Darby said. Fines will mostly like be handed out tommorow and Darby says they will be the same as the ones handed out to Dale Earnhardt, Jr and his team last year at Darlington for the same infraction.

Barker though has an idea on who may have tattled on them. "I wish I could tell you some stuff," he said."It would probably work against me until I know everything. The person I think that did it, and what we really did, it's pretty ... I've never done it. I'll put it that way."

Lowe's Notebook: Crew Chief Fires Back (ESPN.com)

NASCAR confiscates Haas-CNC cars

Earlier today, the cars of Scott Riggs and Johnny Sauter were taken away by NASCAR for having illegal rear wing mounts on their cars. Both drivers will allowed to use thier backup cars for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. Their primary cars will be taken to the nearby NASCAR R&D center. The funny thing about this is that the mounts were not discovred in the tech line, but that someone (tattletale!) infomred NASCAR about the mounts.

Stiff penalties will be handed out to the teams on Tuesday.

NASCAR impounds Riggs, Sauter cars for illegal rear mounts (ESPN.com).