Middlebrook rescinded the points penalties and the suspensions. The $100,000 fine for crew chief Chad Knaus remains in place. Knaus and car chief Ron Malec remain on NASCAR probation until May 9th.

During opening day inspection for the 500, NASCAR officials said that they found modifications on the rear quarter panel, specifically, they had an issue with the C-pillars. 

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said that the changes to the car were a major violation to NASCAR’s policy banning alterations to the series template. He said suspensions were possible.

About a week and a half later, penalties for the No. 48 team were announced. Knaus and Malec were suspended for six Sprint Cup Series events; Johnson was penalized with the loss of 25 driver’s points; car owner Jeff Gordon was penalized with the loss of 25 owner’s points; Knaus was fined $100,000; and both Knaus and Malec were put on NASCAR probation until May 9th.

HMS appealed the penalty to the NASCAR Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel. The panel upheld the penalty, meaning HMS could appeal to Middlebrook — their last chance to get the penalty overturned.

According to SceneDaily.com, HMS based the appeal on the fact that the C-pillars had previously passed inspection, and that the car never has a template put on it before NASCAR took action.

Middlebrook did not explain why he rescinded the penalties. Nor did he explain why he kept the fine in place, but NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp indicated that the fine is “evidence that there was a rules infraction.”

Related Stories

• No. 48 Penalties Upheld; HMS To Appeal
• Knaus, Malec Suspended; Johnson Loses 25 Points
• No. 48 Team Fails Inspection; Penalties Possible

Johnson was penalized 25 points and car owner Jeff Gordon was docked 25 owner’s points after the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy failed a pre-race inspection before the season-opening Daytona 500.

Crew chief Chad Knaus was fined $100,000, suspended six races, and put on NASCAR probation until May 9th. Car chief Ron Malec was also suspended six races.

Knaus will be atop the pitbox at Bristol Motor Speedway while team owner Rick Hendrick appeals the case to National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook. That will be the team’s final appeal.

 Hendrick said of the decision:

We’re disappointed with the outcome, but we’re going to go ahead to the next level and present our case one more time. I stand firmly behind our guys. I do applaud NASCAR for a process in which we present our side of things and try to come to a conclusion. For that I’m appreciative of the process in place.

At issue was the team’s C-pillars, which were determined to have been illegally modified.

Related Stories

• Knaus, Malec Suspended; Johnson Loses 25 Points
• No. 48 Team Fails Inspection; Penalties Possible

The following night in the Bud Shootout, Johnson was involved in a crash that collected  Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, AJ Allmendinger, and resulted in Jeff Gordon flipping down the backstretch. Kyle Busch and a few other cars were involved, but they were able to continue. Johnson finished 14th.

Johnson’s weekend got a little boost when he finished third in his Gatorade Duel, earning him the eight starting position in the Daytona 500.

But, on lap 2 of the 500, Johnson was pushing Regan Smith with help from Elliott Sadler. As Sadler pushed Johnson, Johnson went high, it looked like, to pass Smith. Just as he got outside, Sadler made contact with Johnson in his left rear, an action that had catastrophic results throughout the weekend. The contact turned Johnson, turned down, then back up to correct it. He hit the outside wall head-on, then he spun across the track coming to rest in the middle.

Danica Patrick made contact with David Ragan while trying to avoid Johnson’s car, which sent both of them sliding into it. Ragan made hard contact with Johnson. Ragan’s No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford and Johnson’s Chevy were both done. Patrick repaired the damage and returned to the race nearly 70 laps down. Johnson wound up finishing 42nd.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for the five-time Sprint Cup champion, NASCAR announced penalties, suspensions and fines for the No. 48 team.

The No. 48 car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the rule book or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the event); and 20-2.1E (if in the judgment of NASCAR officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR that has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance will not be permitted — unapproved car body modifications).

Crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron malec were suspended for the next six Sprint Cup Series championship events.  They both have been placed on NASCAR probation until May 9th. Knaus was also fined $100,000.

Driver Jimmie Johnson and car owner Jeff Gordon have been penalized with the loss of 25 driver and owner points, respectively.

As a result, Johnson should be 23 points in the hole because he only earned 2 points by finishing 42nd.

Jeff Gordon’s wreck, which collects Johnson, others: 

Johnson’s Wreck in the Daytona 500:

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said that the changes to the car were a major violation to NASCAR’s policy banning alterations to the series template.  Darby said suspensions are possible.

Knaus said:

They found some things they didn’t like and they asked us to remove them. We’ll get the car fixed up and ready to qualify. … I haven’t had a chance to take a good look at it yet. I know they just asked us to remove the parts, so we did. We’ve got to dig into it. It’s been a hectic day.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said that the penalties are not likely to be announced in the week leading up to the race.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp issued a statement saying:

We became aware of this piece of audio this morning and certainly want to get all the facts before making an opinion and reaching any conclusions. We’ll visit with the parties and pull all the facts together best we can. While Talladega is done and the No. 48 was not the winning or random car, we certainly have an interest in getting the facts straight on behalf of the balance of the competitors.

Johnson and  No. 48 Lowe’s team’s dynasty of five straight championships is about to come to an abrupt halt after a disappointing 26th place finish at Talladega. The finish leaves them sitting seventh in position in the championship standings, 50 points behind Carl Edwards with just four race remaining in the 2011 season.

Before the green flagged waved, Knaus leaned in the cockpit and told the five time champion that if they won, he should intentionally damage the back of the racecar during post race celebration. Kanus admitted to giving Johnson instructions to “cover their bases” in case bump drafting knocked the car out of NASCAR’S rules. Officials more than likely would have accepted the damaged as the reason for the car failing to meet NASCAR’s tolerances.

Johnson’s in-car camera was live on NASCAR.com’s Race Buddy, which meant the audio was broadcast to anyone listening on NASCAR’S website.

Knaus was heard saying ”If we win this race, you have to crack the back of the car. Got it?” Johnson sounded surprised, asking, “Really?” Knaus replied saying “Yes. Got it? You don’t have to have to hit it hard, you don’t have to destroy it. But you’ve gotta do a donut and you’ve gotta hit the back end, or somebody’s gotta hit you in the ass-end or something. OK?” Johnson either remained silent, or the audio didn’t pick up his response. “You’ll be alright. Can’t take any chances,” Knaus added.

After admitting to the allegations, Knaus said, “Here’s the deal, racing at Talladega is tough, and I think everybody understands that. You run 500 miles at 200 miles per hour, and you’re bump-drafting and you’re beating on one another, and it’s real easy for these cars to get outside of tolerance. It’s a tight tolerance that we’re held in. It doesn’t take much to be a few thousands [of an inch] off and have NASCAR raise an eyebrow.”

NASCAR will more than likely meet  with crew chief Chad Knaus and driver Jimmie Johnson this weekend before any on track activities at Martinsville Speedway. Because the No. 48 team didn’t win the race and damage the rear-end of their racecar, I believe we won’t see a penalty handed down. NASCAR will more than likely tell they warn the team and tell them that they will watch them for the rest of the season.

After rallying to a fifth-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, driver Jimmie Johnson was not pleased with his pit crew’s performance. He said that he was losing patience.

After last year’s pit crew struggles, Knaus implemented a system in which crew members could be swapped out easily. So, this move could been seen as part of what Knaus has been doing all season while trying to ensure that he has the best possible crew combination going into the Chase.

Lance McGrew, Earnhardt Jr’s crew chief this season, moves from the No. 88 to the No. 5 and driver Mark Martin, who will be entering his final year at HMS in 2011. Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Martin this season, moves from the No. 5 to the No. 24 with Gordon.

The only crew chief-driver combination left in tact was that of five-time Sprint Cup champion, Jimmie Johnson.

Team owner Rick Hendrick said:

This will improve us as an organization, across the board. We had a championship season (in 2010), but we weren’t where we wanted and needed to be with all four teams. We’ve made the right adjustments, and I’m excited to go racing with this lineup.

Earnhardt Jr is  coming off a 21st-place finish in the points, and his second consecutive season missing the Chase. While Letarte and Gordon have won only one race in the last three seasons, Letarte has helped guide the team to the Chase in each of those three seasons.

As a part of the re-alignment, the No. 88 shop will be housed with the championship team of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus. The No. 24 and Gordon will move to the same facility as Martin and the No. 5.

Hendrick plans to discuss the shakeup on Wednesday discussed the move in more detail on Wednesday. In an Associated Press article, Hendrick said:

This was not a Dale Earnhardt – not a move that we made, this major of a move, because of Dale or his situation. I am excited about making all four teams better. We need to be better across the board. We are not going to leave any stone unturned. … A tremendous amount of thought went into it, and it was not a (decision) from the hip. It’s not one of those things that you can vote on; it’s one of those things you have to pull the trigger and go do it.

With about 20 laps to go, McMurray took two tires after a caution for debris. He restarted with the lead, but was passed by Kevin Harvick shortly before the caution came out for a wreck between McMurray’s teammate Juan Montoya, who led the most laps, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. McMurray restarted with 10 laps to go in second, on the outside, and drove by Harvick within one lap. He then drove to victory.

McMurray said:

Honestly, when Juan was leading and I was in second [before the debris caution on Lap 137] — I’m a big believer in fate — I thought this was how it was meant to be. I won the Daytona 500, Dario [Franchitti] won the 500, and I thought Juan was going to win this one. I’m just shocked I won the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same year.

Top 5: McMurray, Harvick, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, and Tony Stewart.

Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and Kurt Busch finished sixth through 10th, respectively.

Notables: Mark Martin (11th), Matt Kenseth (12th), Kasey Kahne (13th), Denny Hamlin (15th), Jimmie Johnson (22nd), Jeff Gordon (23rd), Dale Earnhardt Jr (27th), and Juan Montoya (32nd).

Hendrick Motorsports did not have a great day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson led early, but after about lap 30th he began losing the handle of the car and he lost positions. Around lap 70, he spent extended time on pit road, and ended up running around 22nd place.

By lap 84, he was 20 seconds off the lead, and wasn’t making up any ground. On lap 119, the team changed shocks under caution. Chad Knaus was trying to get the crew to hurry to beat the pace car to prevent losing a lap. But, the team did not make it. Johnson was a lap down. He never recovered. He finished 22nd.

Jeff Gordon was having a decent run for most of the day, but late in the race he reported that the oil and water temperatures were high. He faded to 23rd, where he finished.

Dale Earnhardt Jr had to pit early after Kyle Busch and Sam Hornish Jr spun, kicking wet grass onto the track, which was then caught on the splitters of several cars. Many of those cars began overheating and had to pit, including Dale Earnhardt Jr.

He spent most of the race running in the top 20, before he found his way into the top 15 with about 20 laps to go. He, like Juan Montoya and Greg Biffle, elected to take four tires when about six cars took two. Running in dirty air, Montoya’s car was nowhere near as strong as it was in the front.

With about 14 to go, Montoya got loose and hit the wall hard. He slid down the track into Dale Earnhardt Jr, who had nowhere to go. Earnhardt Jr’s crew made repairs, but his day was ruined. Montoya was also done for the day. They finished 27th and 32nd, respectively.

As expected, many people blew this situation out of proportion. Johnson made a rare mistake on pit road. It happens to every driver at some point, even the best. He’s human.

But several NASCAR fans saw this penalty as the latest in a series of problems for the team. Some argue that Johnson is in a “slump” – noting that he hasn’t won a race since NASCAR switched to the spoiler before the Goodys Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

But, during that seven-race span, he has four top 10s and two top 5s. I’m sure several drivers in the Sprint Cup garage would love to have those stats. Ask Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, and Dale Earnhardt Jr if they would like those numbers.

I realize that Johnson is held to different standards because he has won the last four championships. While some drivers are seeking top 5s, Johnson is seeking wins because, some fans say, he can get top 10s and top 5s in his sleep. I also realize that during that same span he has two finishes of 31st or worse.

But, those two DNFs were the result of accidents; one of which was the result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, many would argue that this signals that Johnson’s luck bank has run dry — perhaps he has misplaced his golden horseshoe. But that’s not the case.

In 2006, the season Johnson won his first Sprint Cup championship, through the first 12 races (including Dover*), he had an average finish of seventh – his best in the time frame I analyzed (2006-2010). From 2007 to 2009, he posted average finishes of 10.3, 13.3, and 12.7 respectively, in the first 12 races. In 2010, he has posted an average finish of 13.1, which is not his worst.  

* In 2010, Dover was run as the 12th race in the season, before Charlotte. But before that, Dover was the 13th race, after Charlotte. So, to keep the stats concerning Johnson’s performance up to this point in the season consistent for this analysis, I included Dover.

Over the first 12 races of the season, Johnson has averaged nearly three wins each season since 2006. How many wins does he have this season through the first 12 races?

He also averages about two finishes of 30th or worse over these races. Granted he has three this season, he also had three last season up to this point.

So, he’s not really off track, compared to each year he won the championship. Still not convinced?

In 2006, Johnson had only one top 10 in the nine-race stretch between Watkins Glen International and Talladega Superspeedway. During that stretch, he had three finishes of 24th or worse. And, five of those nine races occurred in the Chase.  Compare that to his current “slump” where he has four top 10s and two top 5s over seven races.

In the 14-race span from Charlotte in 2007 (not including Dover because Dover was run after Charlotte – see above) and New Hampshire (first Chase race), Johnson posted three finishes of 37th or worse – two of them were back to back. He also had two wins, six top 5s, and eight top 10s during that same stretch.

Granted those are decent stats, they’re hardly as dominant as some portray them to be because he finished worse than 11th nearly half of the races in that stretch.  

In 2008, he fared better, earning three wins, five top 5s, and nine top 10s in that span. But that still means he finished 11th or worse nearly a third of the time. He also had two finishes of 33rd or worse over those races.

And 2009 wasn’t much different. In the same 14-race stretch (in 2009, the second race at Fontana was replaced with an Atlanta race), Johnson posted five top 5s, seven top 10s, but only one win. He finished outside the top 10 in seven races (half the time) with two finishes of 33rd or worse.

And yet, each and every time, he managed to still come out on top. This is because in the Chase, Johnson performs. In 2006, he won only one Chase race (Martinsville). But since then, he’s won at least three Chase races (twice, he’s won four).

In the 14 races leading up to the Chase (since 2006), Johnson’s best average finish is 11.1. In the Chase, his best average finish is 5th in 2007. His worst Chase-race finishing average is 10.8, in 2006, still better than his best average leading up to the Chase.

So, it’s a bit premature to say that Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 team should be worried. The team is still within its range, based on previous championship seasons. So there is nothing to indicate, at least up to this point, that he is any further away from winning a championship than he has ever been.  Thus, it’s too early to worry about the No. 48’s performance.

This announcement ensures that Knaus will remain paired with four-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson for the next several years. Johnson signed a five-year extension with  HMS at the end of last year, and it is likely that Knaus’ deal would keep him at HMS for the same amount of time. This, of course, is purely speculation.

Gustafson’s role, however, is much less certain. He is currently crew chief for the No. 5 team and driver Mark Martin. With the addition of Kasey Kahne to HMS in 2012, Martin will step out of the No. 5.

The issue is that Kahne’s contract with Richard Petty Motorsports expires this year, and all indications are that he would move to Stewart Haas Racing, an HMS affiliated team, for one season before moving to HMS in 2012.

Many believe that Gustafson will become Kahne’s crew chief when he joins the organization. And all indications point to that. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s not the case.

Before Tony Eury Jr was removed from his position as Dale Earnhardt Jr’s crew chief last season, there were reports that Rick Hendrick considered swapping crew chiefs Eury Jr and Gustafson. Those reports were later denied. But, if true, that indicates that Hendrick thought that Gustafson would be a good fit for Earnhardt Jr — at least good enough to consider the move.

Gustafson and Martin turned their season around and won some races, and contended for a championship. That made it harder for Hendrick to justify the switch. Why break up a winning team that is performing?

Perhaps, with the addition of Kahne, Hendrick will be given the opportunity to consider moving Gustafson to the No. 88 team and Earnhardt Jr. In order for that to happen, I think Hendrick would make a play for Kenny Francis, Kahne’s crew chief during his entire Sprint Cup career.

I haven’t been given any reason to believe that Francis and Kahne have no desire to work together anymore. And, it may be more appealing for Hendrick to bring Francis on board so he doesn’t affect the chemistry. He’s also done it before with Earnhardt Jr and Eury Jr.

That would also mean that Lance McGrew would return to his previous role in the research and development department. I don’t think — of course I don’t have insider knowledge — that McGrew would mind stepping out of the crew chief role. He seemed to be willing to accept the role as Earnhardt Jr’s crew chief more because Hendrick asked rather than because of a genuine interest.

So I can’t imagine that McGrew would have a problem with stepping down. Then again, I don’t really know that for sure.

Another, less likely scenario is Tony Eury Jr becoming Kahne’s crew chief. I highly doubt this is likely, but about a month ago we never would have believed Kahne would be driving a HMS Chevy. So, you just never know.