Come on guys, it's a game and in this case it's NASCAR's game.... When you go to a track to race you are under that sanctioning bodies rules and the way they choose to enforce them, same with IMCA, USAC, USMTS, WISSOTA, NHRA, and all the rest. Playing with the car in the grey areas is part of racing, always has been and always will be. Once you're caught you're watched closer and you learn to become more discreet in your "interpretation" of the rules and the inspector becomes more diligent in his enforcement of the rules. None of these sanctioning bodies are run as a democracy. When you join the organization to race, you sign an agreement stating that it's their game and their rules and their word is final. This appeal process is just something to catch an inspector who is "out to get" a certain individual or team and prevent an inspector from tossing a car out of inspection for no reason. The rules are still arbitrarily enforced by the sanctioning body and their decision is final.

Knaus is a very sharp crew chief and is just doing his job when he pushes the build of a car into the grey areas of the rule book. This is his 6th encounter with an inspector catching him at rule bending so of course he is under more scrutiny then the other teams! I would also imagine he's not the only one doing it, and the 'C' pillar issue probably isn't the only component on the car that is out their in that grey area... it's just that (again) he got caught! In these days of electronic technology, banning him and the car chief from the track means little. They will still be in constant contact with whomever is sitting on the box and still making the calls on the car. Rick Hendrik will pay the fines, and Johnson will still drive the car. Also, if you remember, the last two times the 48 team was docked 25 car points they went on to win another championship!!!! But it all sure does make for great press! I'm not saying that the publicity was NASCAR's only intention, but I'm also quite sure it's a very welcome by product of catching Chad at yet another of his 'interpretations' of the rule book!!!!

As a personal footnote, Chad is lucky it's NASCAR and not some of the other sanctioning bodies! Years back we were caught for the 2nd time bending the rules a bit and were banned from all competition put on by that sanctioning body for a year! With the resources the 48 team has, all this is just another slap on the hand and will do little more then put the team's back against the wall and make them stronger then ever, just as it has the last two times NASCAR penalized them for similar rules infractions and they went on to win a championship....

It's NASCAR's playground and NASCAR's rule book---don't ever think for a moment that it is some kind of democracy where the participant's opinion actually means anything!!! All the participants understand that when they bring their car to the track.