REMEMBER THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF INSPECTIONS ? ?

You ever went to the track when you may have had something not quiet right-as far as rules went?

If you were caught you were told not to come back with that again. Maybe an engine not set in proper place or cubes to big or maybe even a odor to the gas. But did people kinda squeal on you? Did anyone finger you?

Well did someone finger Penskes cars,two cars mind you were pulled and inspected.

Was there a stoolie in the garage area?

Didnt cars already pass two other inspections ??

Wasnt there a Hendrix car parked next to both teams in the garage?

What's the new National Motto? "If you see it, tell it". Not calling out anyone here but we can all suppose that if there is ANYONE in the garage area who can tell when something is not right, it has to be Chad Knaus. After the Gary Nelson cheating became such common knowledge, NASCAR hired him to catch cheaters. I would suppose that when Chad leaves the 48 team, he will be installed as NASCAR's Grand Potentate of Supreme Decisions in regard to rules, no matter how flexible the rules may be.

In 1984 I brought Derrike Cope "east" from Washington state where he was contending for the Winston West title (and Rookie Championship ) to run the September Richmond race as a 2nd 7-Eleven sponsored Ford Thunderbird at the Wrangler 400. Richmond promoter, Paul Sawyer gave car owner George Jefferson $10,000 and Huggins Tire gave us the Goodyear tires for the race. I also promoted free hotel rooms for the crew.

The chassis on the car was an old Elmo Langley #64 Winston Cup Thunderbird that had been torn up about one too many times.

After much consultation, Winston Cup Director Dick Beaty approved the car, with the provision that George Jefferson never bring it back "east!"

The former Elmo Langley Thunderbird being driven by Derrike Cope at Richmond in September 1984 that Dick Beaty instructed the team to never bring back to an east coast NASCAR Cup race.

My NASCAR rules violation confession: In 1969, when I was running the ONLY Mopar make in the Limited Sportsman circuit in Georgia and SC, and The King had abandoned his Mayflower for a Ford, I developed quite a following of fans who had no real Mopar make to pull for anywhere else. I actually got paid "appearance" money a few times to bring the Plymouth to the track. We were competitive in every event, but as I've said many times. I could NOT win a race under any circumstance.

On one of our trips to the half mile, high banked asphalt track in Augusta, we somehow "nicked" the oil pan. I think it happened taking the car off the trailer but since a crewmember did that, I never made the accusation. We were not aware of the oil leak when we went out to practice. After a few laps, the oil pressure dropped a little and I went in the pits to check it out. One of the Chevy drivers (probably Mallonee, but I don't recall) went and told NASCAR I was leaking oil. The NASCAR official came to our pits and looked under the car while standing in a pretty good size puddle of oil. His comment was, as he looked over his shoulder and the good size gathering of Plymouth fans in the stands was "I don't see no oil".

We patched the hole, went out to race. Think we finished third that night. That Chevy driver who turned me in beat me for second. Must have been that Mallonee guy!!

Hay that Mallonee guy is an old truck driver i no he would not do something like that LOL

Leon!!! Mallonee would do something like that in a heartbeat. He and I never got along. Still don't. lol

Hey big guy,your day is coming real soon and you will read about it in several places, if you are lucky. Just remember the ride is in the slide,even if you grease it a little.

And Leon I still have two trucks so dont count me out--YET