Too Fast Two Many Times — Supposedly
The number in question is 3,900. To avoid a speeding ticket, that’s what the tachometer, which measures RPMs in the Red Bull Toyotas, must read in second gear entering and exiting pit road at Dover International Speedway.
Brian Vickers insisted the No. 83 never exceeded 3,900 RPMs. NASCAR said different. And what NASCAR says goes, so Brian was smacked with two penalties for “excessive speed” leaving the pits, this while exiting the third pit stall and having only minimal distance to cover.
The first penalty was a pass-through on lap 231, and the No. 83 fell from sixth to 17th. The second, on lap 245, sent Brian to the tail end of the longest line. He never could make up the laps he lost and finished two laps down in 13th in Sunday’s Best Buy 400.
“I still don’t think I sped, but you can’t argue with (NASCAR). It is what it is,” Brian said. “If you tried to speed off of pit road, you couldn’t speed that late (referring to leaving the third pit stall). The second time was ridiculous. I was still in first gear. It’s 3,900 in second gear, and I was in first gear the second time. There’s no way. Absolutely no way.”
Still, Brian gained a spot in points. He’s 19th — 197 points out of the Chase’s 12th and final spot.
Teammate AJ Allmendinger, after starting eighth, ended up 37th in the No. 84. He battled a loose condition in the first half of the 400-mile race, but then fuel pressure problems surfaced on lap 151. He pitted, the No. 84 Bull Crew added fuel but the car died on the track. A trip to the garage revealed a broken fuel pump drive cable. After that, it was all about turning laps.
The No. 84 remains 39th in the owner standings — 203 points from the top 35.
posted by Bull Rider at 9:07 AM
8 Comments:
To be fair to the team RB sidelined AJ and brought in a veteran, Mike Skinner, to work with the team. Maybe its time to be fair to AJ and put in a veteran crew chief on top of the pitbox.
How is this a crew chief problem maybe a part problem? Before the fuel problem AJ was running the top 20.
Anon - AJ's crew chief IS a veteran. Check the main RB site under the "Team" page.
KCMO
I also agree. Rick Viers is great asset to the team. I wouldn't change that. AJ was running great before he had fuel issues. Give them more time. Have faith in them.
Mechanical failures like that are not the CC's fault. Rick has been working with AJ for a long time, and they do have a non-points win. Yall have short memories! As for BV, I don't believe that Nascar lied, but this drives me crazy.....IF he was speeding out...how was he not speeding in? Or did we not know where the last time line was?
If Viers is so good why did they have to keep the back window clean so AJ could see. He was going backwards. It takes 3/4's of the race to get the car to work.Other things were changed. Maybe it's time to look at the crew chief and director of compition.
AJ was holding his own at about 7th through 9th until a pit stop put him back in the pack.
83fanatic - The last timing line on pit raod was marked by a beaten up orange cone (it was almost black) two lines from the end of the outside pit wall. The FOX guys showed it while discussing the second penalty that BV got. It's marked, but a cone that is so run over and beat up that it's black doesn't quite do the trick...
KCMO
BV has beeen on fire lately. Loosing a tire. Stupid speeding penaties do not help though.
Like he said, how can it be speeding in first gear?
AJ has made huge improvements lately, He reminds me of where BV was last year.
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