NASCAR docked driver Brian Vickers 150 driver points yesterday because an inspection after Sunday's race in Martinsville revealed that his crew had dipped his car's sheet metal in acid to make it lighter than required.
Vickers' crew chief, Kevin Hamlin, was fined $100,000 by NASCAR. Hamlin and car chief Craig Smokstad were suspended indefinitely. Team owner Dietrich Mateschitz was penalized 150 owner points.
The penalties and suspensions are a blow to a team that seemingly gathered some momentum at Martinsville with an 11th-place finish after a dismal six-race slump -- 36th (Richmond) 35th (New Hampshire), 31st (Dover, Del.) 15th (Kansas), 35th (Talladega, Ala.) and 18th (Charlotte, N.C.).
NASCAR officials said the violation is "a serious manipulation of the rules."
Kerry Tharp, director of communications and competition for the series' governing body, said this is the first time that NASCAR has uncovered such a violation with the Car of Tomorrow, which debuted at Bristol Motor Speedway in the spring of 2007.
The infraction was discovered after Vickers' No.83 Toyota was randomly selected for a postrace inspection following the Martinsville race. The car was sent back to NASCAR's Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., where inspectors determined that the car's sheet metal did not meet minimum thickness requirements.
"This is a random car we brought back, along with the winning car [Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet], for a thorough inspection to make sure everyone is abiding by the rules," Tharp said. He said NASCAR officials have brought cars back to its inspection center for various issues. Typically, such inspections are conducted to confirm possible violations.
Red Bull Racing General Manager Jay Frye said the team accepts responsibility for the violation. He added the team does not plan to appeal the penalties.
"This approach to racing is against the values of the Red Bull Racing Team, and the necessary steps will be taken to rectify the situation ensuring it does not happen again," Frye said in a statement. "It is a privilege to race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and we are taking this penalty seriously."
Randy Cox, manager for Red Bull's research and development program, will replace Hamlin as crew chief for this weekend's race in Atlanta.
There are just four races left in the season, and typical crew chief suspensions have been for six weeks. It was not clear if Hamlin and Smokstad's suspensions will carry over into 2009 and the season-opening Daytona 500.
Vickers had been tied for a career-best 15th in the standings. The penalty drops him to 17th.
At Martinsville, Vickers qualified 17th and worked himself in the top five until losing position on restarts on laps 389 and 468.
A NASCAR official said while the advantage may have minimal, having a lighter car gave the No. 83 Toyota a slight competitive edge in handling through the tight corners at Martinsville.
Vickers, whose only Cup victory came at Talladega in 2006 when he drove for Hendrick Motorsports, moved to the Red Bull team in 2007. This season, he has produced six top-10 finishes -- including a season-best second in the Pocono 500 in June.
Copyright 2008  Richmond Times-Dispatch
