KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson used two victories to race their way to the top of the Sprint Cup standings.
Fair and square. No cheating involved.
Even so, tongues were wagging Friday at Kansas Speedway after NASCAR warned the two Hendrick Motorsports teams they came awfully close to failing postrace inspection at Dover.
“There was no room to breathe,” Sprint Cup director John Darby said. “Both cars passed inspection, or we would be having a whole different conversation with this.”
Johnson led Martin to a 1-2 finish last Sunday, and their Chevrolets were taken back to NASCAR’s research and development center in North Carolina for further inspection. Johnson’s car was taken as the race winner, while Martin’s represented the random selection.
During the inspection, NASCAR found that the body of the cars came close to exceeding allowed specifications. Hendrick officials were called in the next day to go over the measurements, and NASCAR let the teams go with a warning: “Don’t put it so close that your head’s in the guillotine and somebody is holding a lighter on the rope,” Darby said.
Martin turned a lap of 175.758 mph Friday to win his career-best seventh pole of the season, while Johnson qualified 11th for Sunday’s Price Chopper 400.
But the two Hendrick Motorsports teams are on the defensive at Kansas, where rival teams openly wondered if Martin and Johnson were given an unfair pass by NASCAR so their championship chances would not be disrupted. Martin, winner of the Chase opener at New Hampshire, holds a 10-point lead in the standings over Johnson, the three-time defending champion.
“If we were cheating, I wouldn’t be standing here today, I’d be back in Charlotte,” said Johnson crew chief Chad Knaus. “The cars were legal. That’s the thing everybody has to understand. It’s turned into a bigger issue than what it really should.”
Martin crew chief Alan Gustafson argued that as a five-time winner this season, his cars have been scrutinized more than anybody else in the series. Gustafson said the No. 5 has gone back to the R&D center after all five of its wins, and again last week.
“That’s our sixth car through there this season, so it’s not like they don’t know what our stuff looks like,” Gustafson said. “So how can you say that? My car has been over there more times than anyone else in the series. There’s some teams in the top 10 who have not won, so I am not sure they have ever been through the process.”
But history often creates a perception, particularly when it comes to Knaus. Considered one of the most innovative minds in the garage, he’s crossed NASCAR’s line 10 times in his career as a crew chief and racked up $199,750 in fines.
Dixon leads top fuel qualifying at Mid-South
MILLINGTON, Tenn. — Larry Dixon powered his top fuel dragster to a 3.810-second run at 318.99 mph and earned six bonus points for leading the two qualifying sessions in the O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals.
Robert Hight (funny car), Mike Edwards (pro stock) and Andrew Hines (pro stock motorcycle) also were the leading qualifiers in their respective categories.
Footnotes.
Suspended NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield is turning to high-profile attorney Mark Geragos to help fight his drug suspension.
• Jean Todt and Ari Vatanen will face off for the presidency of FIA — Formula One’s governing body — after no other candidates emerged for the job.
• Toyota is targeting Robert Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen as drivers for the 2010 Formula One season.
The Associated Press
