Johnson admits chief went too far: #48-Jimmie Johnson admitted Friday that suspended crew chief Chad Knaus erred in judgment by utilizing a device to raise the rear window of the #48 Lowe's Chevy to gain an aerodynamic advantage during Daytona 500 qualifying. "Chad is an innovator and has pushed hard on a lot of fronts, but it just isn't worth it, to be honest," Johnson said. "I think [the suspension] sent a message to all the teams. It sent a message to Chad. We've got to walk on the right side of the line." Johnson, who continued to reiterate his Daytona 500 winning car passed post-race technical inspection, is confident he will be a Nextel Cup title contender this season despite losing Knaus to a four-race suspension. "I think we've got to spin this and make it a positive for our race team," Johnson said. "And we're making our race team stronger right now by going through this. I hope it gives us what we need to win a championship."(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(2-25-2006)

Explanation of why no points penalty for #48: Examples:
Points penalty
Last March at Las Vegas, #29 crew chief Todd Berrier welded the fuel filler so it looked like it was full of fuel when it wasn't.

Two weeks ago at Daytona, the Hall of Fame Racing's #96 car qualified with an unapproved carburetor.
According to NASCAR, those two infractions warranted not only a fine but a reduction of 25 driver and owner points because the fuel filler and the carburetor were absolutely unapproved parts. NASCAR was able to walk over to the car and confiscate those pieces, and their use was premeditated. The pieces were specifically made to skirt NASCAR's rules.

No points penalty
Last fall during qualifying at Talladega, Berrier and the #29 team had some trap doors in the trunk that weren't properly sealed off. The shocks were open when they were supposed to be closed. And some hose clamp that holds the fuel-filler pipe in place came loose. The next thing you know, Kevin Harvick's car had air underneath the car, going up through the trunk and escaping out a hole in the back of the tail light. In that instance, no unapproved parts or pieces were used.
During Daytona 500 qualifying this year, crew chief Chad Knaus and the #48 team put a sleeve over the trackbar adjuster. Like the #29 car at Talladega last fall, all of those parts and pieces were still part of the car that they raced in the Daytona 500.

so....Points penalty: In simple terms, here's the pattern. If you maliciously put something on a car that's made or machined, and it's an unapproved piece that can be confiscated, the team will be fined, the crew chief will be suspended and the driver and owner will lose 25 points.
No points penalty: If you take something that's already on the car and use it to beat the spirit of the rule, then it warrants a suspension and a fine, but it does not warrant the loss of 25 driver and owner points. See Larry McReynolds full article at FoxSports.(2-23-2006)

 

I think with knaus' history of cheating or trying to there should be a more serious penalty involved for the car and this team. The crew chief banned for 4 races, so what? They do have these things called telephones and radios that the team can remain in contact with the crew chief on. Get real! How about NO points awarded each time this team is caught with illegal anything at any point during a race weekend and NO points for the next 3 races. What is it 7 times in the last 3 years he has been caught trying to cheat? Kinda makes me wonder how many times he didn't get caught cheating that resulted in a win. Anyone else? Evidently Ryan Newman has been thinking about it and voiced his opinion and rightfully so in my opinion.