NASCAR warned race teams Friday at Martinsville Speedway about the severe penalties for tire tampering after rumors have circulated in the garage that certain teams are altering tires to gain an advantage.
"There's a lot of talk, there's a lot of dialogue, there's a lot of rumors in the garage," Jeff Gordon's crew chief Alan Gustafson said Friday in a media session, according to NASCAR.com. "So yeah, I think some people think something is going on. And is NASCAR reacting to that or do they feel uncomfortable with what's going on? I don't know that answer."
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Questions were raised after NASCAR seized tires of Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick for inspection after the March 15 race at Phoenix. After the Auto Club 400, NASCAR took the tires of Harvick, Kurt Busch, Paul Menard and Ryan Newman.
Despite the investigations, Gordon thinks teams are still finding ways to manipulate tires.
“Yeah, I do," Gordon said. "I do think they are. When it gets to this level and when you’re hearing about it and I’m hearing about it and they are talking about things in meetings with crew chiefs — that tells me that it’s being done. It’s just not clear on how it’s being done.”
USA Today reports teams may be drilling small holes in their tires to maintain more consistent pressure throughout a run, affecting speeds.
According to the NASCAR rule book, modifying or altering tires is a P5 penalty that may result in a 50-point deduction, $75,000-$125,000 fine and a six-race suspension for team members.