Published 03/13/2023, 9:26 AM EDT
DAYTONA, FL – FEBRUARY 17: Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and team president Jeff Gordon prior to the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 on February 17, 2022 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 17 NASCAR Cup Series – Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona Icon220217768
During the initial inspection two days before Sunday’s Phoenix race, NASCAR officials found a potentially problematic issue in Hendrick Motorsports cars. Concerned about the louvers providing an aerodynamic advantage, the officials removed and sent the hood louvers from all four HMS cars to NASCAR’s R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, for further examination.
Although no penalty for the team or the drivers was announced for this weekend, the officials revealed that penalties, if any, will be announced and levied next week after the examination. The governing body explained that the louvers can serve as a release point for ducts that transfer air out of the radiator. Hence, any modifications might provide an unfair advantage to the HMS cars.
However, in a recent interview with Fox, HMS Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon claimed that the louvers do not provide any special advantages to the cars. In fact, Gordon claimed that the team’s performances in Saturday’s practice and on Sunday’s race proved that the louvers had no impact on the vehicles. He also revealed that the team has been in talks with the governing body about the confiscated parts.
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Well, all the four Hendrick Motorsports driver did finish their races in the top 10 last weekend at Phoenix Raceway, even without the louvers. However, despite the results and Gordon’s arguments, NASCAR fans didn’t seem to buy the explanations.
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Why fans didn’t buy Hendrick Motorsports VC’s explanation?
Many fans believe that Hendrick Motorsports has always tried to find a way around NASCAR’s rule book. Furthermore, a few others accused the team of changing more than just hood louvers to gain a competitive advantage against other teams. Sharing their theories on Twitter, fans wrote,
Many accused HMS of making underhand modifications to the cars, while distracting NASCAR with an obvious one.
A few fans also made sarcastic remarks about Gordon’s diplomacy.
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The final decision regarding the hood louvers is pending at the moment. However, irrespective of the team’s explanations, if the attachments are in violation of NASCAR’s rule book, HMS might incur heavy penalties. The list of penalties handed in the past includes a deduction of 100 points, 10 playoff points, or a four-race suspension for the crew chief.
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