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STOCKTON 99 SPEEDWAY OFFICIALS' TECHNICAL
INSPECTION FINDS RULE
VIOLATIONS IN DRIVERS WESTERN LATE MODEL CAR; FINE LEVIED & POINTS DOCKED
STOCKTON - On Saturday, August 13 Granite Bay's John Moore was awarded the win
for the 50-lap
Western Late Model main event. His win followed the required, NASCAR sanctioned
post-race, pit-row
technical inspection. Licensed NASCAR officials conducted the inspection, they
completed it utilizing all
available and required tools, knowledge and experience.
The inspection revealed that Moore's engine was running different valve-springs,
but that they were not
"performance enhancing," so there was no cause to disqualify him, according to
Stockton 99 Speedway
Chief Steward John Weimer.
Following the inspection, another driver indicated that he was going to protest
Moore's win. According to
Stockton 99 Speedway's NASCAR sanctioned rules -- which all drivers agree to be
governed by as a
condition of competition -- a protest occurs when a driver posts cash money to
validate it, in this case
no money was posted, so no protest was recorded. Despite that, track officials,
in keeping with the
highest standards of integrity, decided to direct Moore to turn over his engine
for additional examination.
"During the pit-row inspection, we determined that Moore's car was running
different valve springs.
Using everything we had available to us the night of the race, which was
everything that the NASCAR
sanctioned track requires, we were led to conclude that Moore's valve-springs
were different, but
couldn't have enhanced the engine's performance," said Weimer. "Based on our
findings and rules, we
had to validate the win. But the different valve-springs and other driver's
concerns raised red flags,
which led us to order further testing, even though we weren't required to."
Track officials can direct any driver to turn their car in for inspections if
they suspect that there could be
violations undetectable during a post race, pit-row inspection.
That inspection, completed at T.O.E. Performance, a track and Chevrolet
certified racing facility located
in Susuin City, revealed that there were more than just valve-spring violations
in the motor -- violations
that could only be found at such a shop.
Stockton 99 Speedway's NASCAR sanctioned rules stipulate that Moore would retain
credit for the win
and points earned toward the division championship, because he passed the
required post race
inspection. But because the later inspection revealed violations, the track has:
fined Moore $750 and his
crew chief $250; docked him 10 points in the division standings; and will
withhold an additional 40
additional points from his total until the season is complete, those 40 points
will be released and
recorded to Moore at season's end, provided that he has no further engine
violations. Moore earned
$750 for the win.
"This type of situation isn't unique to Stockton 99 Speedway. Any group of
NASCAR DODGE Weekly
Series track officials could find themselves in the same spot and faced with the
same decisions on any
give race night," said Track Manager Pat Patnaude. "Our guys did the right
thing, which was to follow the
NASCAR sanctioned track rules, take the other driver's concerns seriously and to
then perform additional
tests."
Track officials can't comment on what might have motivated Moore to violate
rules, or on whether or not
he knew of the violations.
"Our NASCAR sanctioned track rules are very clear, ultimately the driver is
responsible for what's under
his hood," said Patnaude. "It's the track's job to make sure that rules are
followed, to see to it that violations are caught and to take into consideration
all drivers' concerns. In this case Stockton 99 Speedway officials have done all
three."
"I've been involved with NASCAR and auto racing since 1951," said Stockton 99
Speedway event promoter Ken Clapp, a retired NASCAR vice president. "Every year,
at tracks all over the world, drivers try to slip past the rules. All tracks and
all officials have procedures that they have to follow when it comes to
enforcing the rules and targeting newly hatched violation attempts.
In this case, our officials did exactly what they were allowed to do to resolve
the situation."