Bleeding Air Pressures...

[Flying Razorback]

So NASCAR took the tires from Harvick, Kurt Busch, Menard, and Newman after the race and has been investigating them and now sent them to an independent 3rd party to look at them.

Just listening to Jeff Gordon at the Martinsville press conference, he thinks they're bleeding air from tires somehow.  Rodney Childers says they're not doing anything (obviously) and the evidence is that the tires are the most transparent thing because they're out in the open and they're random draw and always in front of all the other teams.

So who knows!  I'm glad Harvick has been awesome, but since he won all these races I'd be curious if something is going on that shouldn't be.  Doesn't mean he's not a great driver to me at least.

[Racinray]

As equal as these top teams are, it's hard not to think something is not up and up. If there's nothing, kudos to them for being on their game.

[Flying Razorback]

As equal as these top teams are, it's hard not to think something is not up and up. If there's nothing, kudos to them for being on their game.

I'd be more interested in to how they would have gotten it to work.  I would assume if they had some sort of air regulating system going on then they could start at a higher pressure and get speed early in the run.  Then as pressure builds it would bleed off so that it doesn't get too high allowing them to start higher.

But I wonder how you would be able to get something like that past the constant inspections and eyes on.  Especially with how many races they've won and they always take those cars.

[Buff]

Chad Knaus is about to start a new regimen.  This is just Hendrick trying to divert attention.

[Flying Razorback]

Chad Knaus is about to start a new regimen.  This is just Hendrick trying to divert attention.

Knaus's answer was weird in the press conference when asked about it.  He is a strange guy.

Gustafson basically said he thinks certain teams in the garage are definitely doing something funny.

Gordon said he believes the cars that are being talked about in the garage are definitely doing something funny too.  And it makes him happy he said because when they get found out or stop he'll be better than them.

[Buff]

According to Childers, the 4's tires have been taken after the race 17 of the last 18 weeks.  The Hendrick people can shut the hell up.

*Weeks, months. Same thing.

[RAD]

Knaus might be playing dumb in his comments, but he is anything but. He has tested the rules enough himself, so he can see when others are doing it. Interesting that 2 of the teams are Hendrick alliances.

Ive heard of teams using trick valve stems to bleed pressure, but dont recall poking holes in the tires themselves.

[Flying Razorback]

According to Childers, the 4's tires have been taken after the race 17 of the last 18 weeks.  The Hendrick people can shut the hell up.

Yeah I don't think it'd be easy for them to hide something since they've been under the microscope for a year.  Their 8 straight top 2 streak, 5 wins in the past 10 races, championship, and pacing everything for a year has had them looked at a lot.

At this point if they are doing something funny with their tires, then good on them.  It must be real good/innovative to not be caught yet.

The whispers are pretty loud in the garage and so a lot of people are saying "where there's smoke..."

[pick_DA_EAGLES]

All the top teams push the envelope, read between the lines, and all that. If you are not, you are not winning.

[Flying Razorback]

All the top teams push the envelope, read between the lines, and all that. If you are not, you are not winning.

Yeah, Jayski posted an update that said while Gustafson and Knaus said they just "reminded" teams about the rules on tires on Friday morning, it was actually a stern warning.  They said there are 3 things that are absolutely unacceptable in NASCAR, messing with the engine, altering the fuel as provided, and altering the tires as provided.

The rumor is that "certain" teams are drilling extremely small holes in the tires that open up once the air pressure builds to a certain point and then bleeds the air back down to the pressure closing the hole again.  Then as pressure builds it bleeds off keeping it at a perfect pressure to keep the car balanced.

If that's true then the 4 team has probably been doing it for over a year.  The way these teams work, I would guarantee that some of the other teams assigned hauler drivers or someone to watch the 4 team pit the entire race and see what the heck they are doing.  Then spread the info throughout the garage.  Once that happens it gets loud quick and NASCAR reacts.

[Buff]

You would think that the pit officials would have already been told to watch for guys standing near the tires with power tools in hand.

[Flying Razorback]

You would think that the pit officials would have already been told to watch for guys standing near the tires with power tools in hand.

That's kind of what I was thinking.  What it tells me is they can't figure out exactly how they're doing it if it's actually going on.  I mean if they've had tires taken from them this many times and reviewed by Goodyear and outside agencies and they still can't find "the holes" or whatever it is they're doing.  Then they're doing something that can't be replicated right now.

It is interesting.  I'm not as upset as I'd think I'd be since I'm a Harvick fan.  But I also firmly believe that the years he was behind Johnson and the others was when Johnson and some of those teams were doing some very suspicious things to win all those races and championships.

[DeWayne R]

Here's a very good read  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/culture/commuting/nascars-golden-age-of-cheating/article4178760/

[berryhog]

That's kind of what I was thinking.  What it tells me is they can't figure out exactly how they're doing it if it's actually going on.  I mean if they've had tires taken from them this many times and reviewed by Goodyear and outside agencies and they still can't find "the holes" or whatever it is they're doing.  Then they're doing something that can't be replicated right now.

It is interesting.  I'm not as upset as I'd think I'd be since I'm a Harvick fan.  But I also firmly believe that the years he was behind Johnson and the others was when Johnson and some of those teams were doing some very suspicious things to win all those races and championships.

I'm sure there is some shady stuff happening.  Always has been.  We know Knaus has been busted several times and it's probably not a coincidence Gordon struggled so much when he lost Evernham.  I'm sure most teams do to some extent.  Some teams are just better at concealing it than others.

[pick_DA_EAGLES]

It's probably not being done with a power tool. Think more along the lines of a needle of some sort. A drill bit would cut a round hole that would leak all the time. A punctured hole would close up after whatever made the hole was removed.

[Buff]

A power tool would be too big to conceal, a needle would take a lot of time.  Not to mention the research to know how many holes to punch and where to put them.  The 4 team has been running good in practices and qualifying; you telling me that they're not only altering tires, but they're modifying every set through a typical race weekend? 

The whole thing still reeks of "Wahhh they're better than me, someone stop them" pettiness.

[Flying Razorback]

I think it's all amusing and adds at least something fun to discuss.  But I thought it was funny during Jeff Gordon's interview.  He gave a political answer and said there was just a lot of rumor and smoke in the garage.  Then the next guy said "Do you think they're bleeding air from tires?"  And Jeff answered "Do I think they're doing it?  Yeah I think they are.  Sometimes there's just far too much smoke to not have a fire there..."

[pick_DA_EAGLES]

A power tool would be too big to conceal, a needle would take a lot of time.  Not to mention the research to know how many holes to punch and where to put them.  The 4 team has been running good in practices and qualifying; you telling me that they're not only altering tires, but they're modifying every set through a typical race weekend? 

The whole thing still reeks of "Wahhh they're better than me, someone stop them" pettiness.

I was using a needle as a reference really. Research is something the top teams do plenty of, so I don't think that would hinder them. And it wouldn't take as many holes as one would think. When we raced dirt cars, we had some factory bleeders, and the hole in them was smaller than a pencil lead.

[Buff]

How would one go about poking holes that small in the tires without being seen? 

[pick_DA_EAGLES]

How would one go about poking holes that small in the tires without being seen?

Now that, I have no idea. Maybe a "special" glove?  Might not want to shake hands with them, Lol.

[tophawg19]

it may be happening during the mounting process . each team mounts their own tires

[BDSCT51]

it may be happening during the mounting process . each team mounts their own tires

I'd put good money on this method!

[Flying Razorback]

I thought starting this year teams were no longer mounting their own tires.  I thought that was a change.

And it looks like the 31 team is getting hit hard.  Of the 4 drivers they sent off the 31 was found to be illegally modifying...

Luke Lambert will be watching from home for a while and RCR has a big fine to pay.

[Buff]

And RCR continues down the rabbit hole.