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When one race team is so dominate, everyone cries foul. They must be cheating. Sometimes there is a hint of truth in that statement, but sometimes there is no basis. NASCAR has to police the teams within reason. But ultimately it is up to each individual race team to find that edge.
In the Nationwide series, Joe Gibbs racing has been so dominate that many wondered if they were indeed cheating. Between the No. 18 and No. 20 teams they have won thirteen of the 25 races run so far this season. So of course the cries of cheating are getting louder. But overall, Toyota's performance in Nationwide has been well above the other manufacturers. So much so that NASCAR ordered all the Toyota teams to reduce their horsepower.
The Toyota teams obliged NASCAR and cut back on the horsepower, or so we thought. We have now learned that the two most dominate teams in the Nationwide series have tried to pull one over on NASCAR. Magnets were discovered under the gas pedals during a dyno test following the conclusion of Saturday's race. It was an attempt to make it look as if the once dominate Toyota teams were at a clear disadvantage in horsepower. But are they really fooling anyone? Even though a Toyota failed to win the event Saturday, there were four Toyota's in the top ten, two in the top three, and five overall in the top 15. So one-third of the top finishers were Toyota's, while Ford and Chevy each had four and Dodge with two. It would hardly seem that Toyota is disadvantaged.
So the question has to be asked, why? Toyota's are the class of the Nationwide series and in Sprint Cup. It just doesn't make sense to try and do what the No. 18 and No. 20 teams did. This wasn't some creative and ingenious gray area to tamper with, it was a blatant action. Toyota already has a less than stellar reputation in the sport. Fans and competitors have taken many issues with the manufacturer and now one of the most respected and ethical teams in the sport is reduced to playing what is perceived as typical practice of Toyota.
More questions will be asked, many will question whether Toyota's dominance is the result of dirty tactics or if it's simply a case of teams doing their homework. But as it stands now, it seems like they have tried to write the answers to the test on their hand just to pass.
Sharon@insidethepitbox.com
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