Thread: JGR & Kenseth - "Busted"

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Seems JGR (or TRD) let a light conn rod get through & into a race car!

To bad they had to do a tear down / inspection. Read it here.

NASCAR penalizes Matt Kenseth over engine - NASCAR News | FOX Sports on MSN

Sorry to see that happen to Kenseth. He seems like he's a pretty sharp guy with his head right about the game. Three grams light on one of eight connecting rods, and JGR contracted to TRD to supply assembled engines for his cars, but the driver, crew chief and owner get the hammer. Seems harsh to me. I can see penalizing Toyota on Owner's Points, but JGR is a victim here, IMO.

I can't see where 3 grams light on one rod was any sort of advantage, and I seriously doubt that Matt built the engine anyway!!!!! NASCAR is starting to get a bit stupid on some of these penalties!

We can all understand that 3 grams light on one rod probably is counterproductive. However, if NASCAR has a written rule (not a grey area), the rule has to be enforced....otherwise, everyone will be soon running ultralight rods and whatever else is the hot ticket. If the rule book says "no less than 525g" then that is the limit. This is a strong message about pushing the limit in light of all of the recent press about rules violations. NASCAR engines are not simple nor cheap....it would be interesting to know the real story about how such a stupid mistake could get thru the build and testing process.

In defense of the owner and team, NASCAR uses the statement "the tight rules keep the cost down so the little guy can be competitive." This is BS....when, in the last decade, has a "little guy" been even slightly competitive? Occasionally, one of the teams that fill the back of the grid might get lucky but they have zero chance, even if the rule said that you had to use an engine from Pick-A-Part.....in fact, their engines might be near kin to a NASCAR Pick-A-Part model previously used by another team.

It wasn't any advantage. Probably a slight detriment really!! TRD did lose 5 manufacturers points and it was a simple mistake I'm sure.

The rules say 525 grams period! And magnetic steel too! Once came up short is all.. I'll bet some machinest / assembler at TRD can't sit down tonite from the spankin' he's getting!!

If you think about the balancing process, three grams is probably an extra swipe with a file, and failure to back check the component weight against the minimums, and it's one rod out of eight. I'd bet if they checked the relative weights of the bolts, pins, pistons & rings they'd find that another component on that cylinder was a few grams heavy. I agree that the rule has to be enforced, but when JRG gets his engines from TRD, assembled and ready to go, it seems harsh that JRG, Kenseth and especially the crew chief get hammered hard. I mean, what's that crew chief got to do with it that he gets banned for six races? He didn't assemble that engine, and I doubt he even saw the inside of it! Hammering Toyota for TRD's mistake makes sense, but the rest is a bad deal.

I agree with you! All you said seems reasonable to me. But NASCAR is super sensitive about this "new" ride..

And they haven't said (or I missed it) what to do about Hamlin and bad mouthin' the gen 6 pet of NASCAR. He swore he wouldn't pay any fine! And I can't see where they agreed to any deal. Maybe you guys have seen something?

His momma said he was a good boy and wouldnt cheat!! All of them are at fault because they are the responsible person. The crew chief is responsible for putting a car on the grid that is legal....doesnt matter how he knows it is legal. The owner is responsible for abiding by the rules.... you can argue that the driver is a victim but rules are rules. It's only cheating when you get caught (famous quote).

A penny weighs 2.5 grams, a nickel weighs 5 grams. I remember this from earlier in my life, don't ask me how.

3 grams can be hard to get off a rod that fully cnc profiled piston or rod been there many times i have done it. there rods cost abit more then some of the rods i see but not all . it was done that way or was never checked hard to buy that . caps screws are a fast way to loose weigth just in the over all and how tall the head of the cap screws is or both