Several drivers dispute Roush

HAMPTON, Ga — Jack Roush is willing to take a lie-detector test to prove his organization did nothing intentionally wrong to help Carl Edwards win at Las Vegas last weekend. According to several veteran drivers Friday, he would fail.

Roush claimed Friday at the Atlanta Motor Speedway that a bolt broke during last week’s Sprint Cup race, causing the oil-tank lid to come loose on Edwards’ Home Depot Fusion. Though Edwards was allowed to keep the victory, he had to forfeit the 10 Chase bonus points he would receive as well as 100 owner and driver points.

Crew chief Bob Osborne was suspended for six races.

Roush vehemetly denied any wrongdoing, but those denials were falling on deaf ears in the garage.

“First of all, it insults my intelligence as a driver to suggest you’ve accidentally left the oil-tank lid off,” Elliott Sadler said. “Heck, I’ve done it myself several times earlier in my career. Look, we spend millions of dollars a year going to wind tunnels trying to gain an advantage, but why do that when you can take an oil lid off and get 100 pounds of downforce? It’s that simple, and you have to give them credit for finding a way to make it work.”

Roush said a vibration caused the only bolt holding the lid secure to come loose during the race.

“My car vibrates the same way as theirs do, and my lid is in perfect shape,” Ryan Newman said. “So, no, I don’t buy that argument.”

Neither does Jeff Burton, who spent nine years with Roush Racing.

“One thing that I have learned about these race cars is typically things don’t fall off of cars that hurt the cars,” he said. “Crew members don’t typically leave A-frames loose; they typically don’t leave brakes loose; gauges don’t fall out of them. We have highly trained mechanics who have checklists.”

Also hurting Roush’s case are photos of Edwards’ winning car showing the brackets that hold the right-side rear window in place are open, which would, according to Sadler, allow more air to escape.

“The right-side safety latches were loose, so that’s where the hot air was going (from the oil-tank lid being open),” Sadler said. “That’s how they made it work.”

Sadler even suggested that NASCAR take Edwards’ win away.

“If you told me I could keep a win but have to pay $100,000 and lose 100 points, I would do it in a minute,” Sadler said. “I mean, he still gets to be on that winner’s platform, and that’s well worth the money and points. So take the win away. Do something to make them want to stop doing what they’re doing.

“I think we’re getting to that point. We started with fines, then we added points, so wins are next.”