Water world: Yeley, No. 96 team rapped for "unapproved adjustment"

Newton

By David Newton
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: July 13, 2008, 2:00 AM ET

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

J.J. Yeley had to perform a pass-through penalty on the opening lap at Chicagoland.

JOLIET, Ill. -- The No. 96 team with driver J.J. Yeley was penalized before the first lap of Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway was completed.

NASCAR discovered the team removed the water bag without an official present, which in the eyes of the governing body was an unapproved adjustment.

The car was then put back through inspection and given a pass-through penalty on the first lap, putting Yeley a lap down.

Yeley already was outside the top 35 in owner points guaranteed a spot in the field at 38th. He finished 24th in the race.

Testing proposal floated again

NASCAR is considering giving teams 24 test days at tracks with Sprint Cup dates, according to a memo distributed to teams at Chicagoland Speedway.

They would have a maximum of two cars per test. All drivers of an organization will be allowed to test but none can test for a team outside the organization.

David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at dnewtonespn@aol.com.
ESPN Conversation

NASCAR looking at Nationwide engines

J.D. Gibbs, the president of Joe Gibbs Racing, apparently took offense that NASCAR impounded 10 engines following Kyle Busch's victory in Friday night's Nationwide Series race.

Teams have been grumbling for months that Toyota, which fields JGR cars, has significantly more horsepower than the other manufacturers. Toyota has won 14 of 20 races with JGR taking a majority of them with Busch, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano.

NASCAR impounded three Toyota engines (two from JGR) two Ford engines, three Chevrolet engines and two Dodge engines.

Gibbs denied his engines were significantly stronger. He gave a list of reasons for the organization's incredible results, from merging the Nationwide program with the Cup program to building the bodies and chassis in-house for the first time to great drivers.

"We invest a ton because that is our future with JGR's Nationwide stuff," he said during a news conference to discuss the loss of Stewart to Haas CNC Racing in 2009. "It's a big investment for us. We think it's worth it and it's always paid off with drivers and crew members and crew chiefs.

"I know it's been said [we could] put a monkey in there and they can do it. Let me just say we have some very gifted and highly trained monkeys. Keep that in mind, that's easier said than done. If a monkey could do it, I'd still be driving."

Standings

ESPN video