Huge Slew of Penalties for RCR's No. 27 Cup Team

NASCAR has always said if you muck with the car (Since the COT inception), we're bringing the hammer down on you, your team, every points field you're contending in, your friends, family... well, OK, maybe not the last two entries.

It seems that the No. 27 Sprint Cup team, wheeled by Paul Menard, found itself on the outs with NASCAR as they failed the Michigan post-race inspection.  (I guess it wasn't so "Pure!")  Considering the issue of safety with this particular competitive mod, I'm not surprised by the reaction one bit.

via press release

NASCAR has issued penalties, suspensions and fines to the No. 27 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a result of rules infractions discovered this week during post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center following last Sunday's race at Michigan International Speedway.

The No. 27 team was found to be in violation of

Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing);

12-4K (race equipment that has been previously certified or previously approved by NASCAR for use in an event,

pursuant to sub-section 8-12, has been altered, modified, repaired or changed in any manner. Intentionally modifying frame rails for the purpose of deceiving NASCAR's inspection gauges) of the 2012 NASCAR Rule Book.

As a result, crew chief Slugger Labbe has been fined $100,000, suspended from NASCAR until Oct. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Car chief Craig Smokstad has been suspended from NASCAR until Oct. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31, while crew member Grant Hutchens has also been suspended from NASCAR until Oct. 3 and placed on probation until Dec. 31. Driver Paul Menard and owner Richard Childress have been penalized with the loss of 25 championship driver and owner points, respectively.

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Regan Smith and Paul Menard Are OK After Highway Accident

So now we know Regan Smith and Paul Menard hang out together!  First up, no one was injured, so let's put that concern to rest.

But it seems that when Smith and Menard were headed to a ski resort in Colorado, Smith's truck hit some ice and they went "off-roading" through some trees when the truck slid off the road.

Everyone in the truck was OK.

Smith drives the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing while Menard drives the No. 27 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
[nascar.com] 

Menard Takes His Sponsor Elsewhere, DEI Left to Look For New Sponsors

The slow, inevitable trickle continues.

Paul Menard has up and taken his sponsor, Menards and headed over the Yates Racing beginning in the 2009 season.

With Menards going with Paul, the Army expected to head to Tony Stewart's team, that leaves DEI with Bass Pro Shops with Martin Truex Jr.. The once mighty DEI garage, who could pad their sponsors coffers with appearances of their ex-driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is now finding themselves scrambling to find themselves more sponsors.

As it is, Almirola has no sponsor yet for the No. 8 car either.

Not looking so good, not giving Jr 51%, huh?

Well, let's see what happens and how many cars they really will be fielding in 2009!

To be fair to DEI, I'm not sure if this would not have happened anyway. Other shops are struggling with sponsorship issues too in this silly-season of economic down turns.

source