NASCAR is investigating Jeff Gordon's charge that Paul Menard might have spun intentionally to help Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick win last Saturday at Richmond International Raceway.
But the available evidence might preclude a definitive answer on the explosive allegations heading into the Chase for the Sprint Cup opener Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway.
NASCAR president Mike Helton said Friday that officials would review the video of Menard's spin, which occurred with 16 laps remaining and Gordon leading Harvick at the 0.75-mile oval. After pit stops under caution, Harvick retook the lead and held on for his fourth victory of the season (and three extra bonus points to start the Chase).
"In light of the suspicions, we're going to look into it," Helton said. "And a lot of it is going to be interpretation. But certainly, it's on us to understand exactly what all we can find as far as facts are concerned. We have in the past reacted to cars that caused cautions during a race. It doesn't necessarily mean we would find something after the fact and react to it."
Helton said the audio involving the incident also would be reviewed. NASCAR requires that all communications between drivers and their crew chiefs and spotters must be broadcast on analog channels that also are monitored by NASCAR officials, media and fans.
But teams also are allowed to use digital frequencies for communications not involving the driver between crewmembers and car owners. Those channels aren't for public consumption, but a Speed Channel report this week stoked debate about what might have been said on a private channel used by Richard Childress Racing.
On the network's "Race Hub" program, Speed analyst Jimmy Spencer analyzed the final 70 laps of traffic on Menard's radio channel. Menard was given frequent updates about the race between Gordon and Harvick. He asked whether the team needed a caution and also seemed puzzled when asked about the voltage in his No. 27 Chevrolet (which was running more than 70 laps behind after an earlier crash).
Shortly before Menard's spin, RCR director of competition Mike Dillon is heard asking Slugger Labbe, Menard's crew chief, to "switch to channel two," which teams frequently refer to as their digital channel.
Spencer implied RCR might have discussed bringing out the caution on their private channel and relayed a coded message to Menard to trigger the yellow. After Dillon's transmission, Menard radioed he had a tire going flat and spun a few laps later.
"When Paul suspected his right rear was going down, he wasn't advised to come to pit road, even though he was 80 laps down and everyone behind him was out of the race," Spencer said. "Why stay out on the track and risk damaging your car or taking someone else out when it's impossible to lose any more spots?"
Menard told SBNation.com and SceneDaily.com that the reason he had asked about the yellow was because he was trying to gauge when to retaliate against Matt Kenseth for an earlier crash. He didn't want to cause a caution that would have impacted Harvick's chances.
Team owner Richard Childress also categorically denied that any team orders were given for a spin.
"Anyone who knows Paul Menard, especially Jeff Gordon … knows him personally enough that if we had ordered it, which we did not, he wouldn't have done it because he's that type of person," Childress said.
NASCAR drivers don't have the scrambled digital channels in their cars during races, but they do have access during practice. Five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson said his Hendrick Motorsports team was among the first to embrace its usage.
"We use it during practice so that we can talk openly on our channel and not give away our shock settings and our spring settings and the adjustments we're making to everyone else," Johnson said. "NASCAR understands there needs to be a level of privacy there and allows it to happen, but those digital radios cannot be in the race car. I am on the digital radio when the car is parked. There is a rule there that the car has to be stopped and the engine off in order for us to use the digital radio. When I come in they literally unplug one radio and plug me into the digital so that I can join that conversation."
Recurring issue: Helton was vague on what sort of punishment — if any — might be taken if NASCAR determined there was wrongdoing at Richmond. But he was firm the race results wouldn't be affected.
He also said NASCAR had "broad authority in the rulebook" to mete out penalties if it felt "team orders" were affecting race outcomes. Formula One attempted to outlaw the practice several years ago after teams routinely ordered drivers to pull over for teammates (sometimes with a win at stake) but since has relaxed its rules.
NASCAR drivers were warned in their prerace meeting at Richmond not to try to meddle in race outcomes.
"We routinely remind the guys to let the race unfold itself," Helton said. "We joke about there not being gentlemen's agreements anymore in our sport. But I do feel like there's a code of ethics among drivers that is alive and well and very strong, particularly in the Sprint Cup garage."
Bowyer on the move?Michael Waltrip Racing confirmed Friday the team is in "productive discussions" with Clint Bowyer, who apparently will leave RCR after the season. "However we don't have anything finalized, and we're not in a position to make any formal announcements," Waltrip said.
During a Friday morning interview on Sirius Satellite Radio, Rusty Wallace confirmed that Five-Hour Energy was leaving his Nationwide team next year for Sprint Cup and was shopping itself as a package deal with Bowyer. "I hear they'll run about 20 races," Wallace said. "They've been with me for over four years and put a lot of money in our team and been awesome partners of mine, but they want to move to the Cup series, and I'm not in the Cup series. They aligned with Clint Bowyer because he was out of a ride with Childress."
Wallace said the 2012 sponsorship prospects for Rusty Wallace Inc. remained solid.
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