Rule Breakers

Junior Johnson, Tim Flock, Smokey Yunick, Richard Petty, Ray Evernham, Gary Nelson, Tim Brewer, Chad Knaus...

All names who at one time or another pushed the envelope of what NASCAR would allow.

In the past the rules were not necessarily there to be broken, the rules were written on the back of what some of these guys tried and when NASCAR decided they didn't like it, the rules were written.

Some cars ran illegal engines, some tried to hold too much fuel, some played with weight, some with ride height.

Bit by bit NASCAR have got better at finding the illegalities, better at writing rules, but some still find ways to push the envelope, and at the same time NASCARs buttons.

There has been a long held point of "respect" between NASCAR and the teams in which NASCAR say, don't think you can get an illegal engine or body by us, because we are too good for that. Try other things and take your chances, but mess with a cars engine or bodywork... how dumb do you think we are?

When the COT was introduced and with it the "tech inspection claw" NASCAR made one thing very clear to the car builders and crew chiefs... do not mess with the bodywork!

Chad Knaus is one of our generations most successful Crew Chiefs... but also one of our generations best rule "pushers". This time he had C-posts on the 48 car that NASCAR didn't like, so they removed them. As a consequence of his actions both Knaus and his driver Jimmie Johnson have both received 25 point penalties, and Knaus has a $100,000 fine and a six week ban to worry about.

Chad Knaus has an eleven year career as crew chief. He has won five Sprint Cup championships with Jimmie Johnson but has also been caught and penalized by NASCAR nine times and suspended three times.

Of course the 48 team is appealing the penalties. Over the course of his career, Knaus has won one appeal!

Some might say that innovation, and therefore rule breaking is a fundamental part of a sport founded on "moonshine runners" going racing, but they are also a part of it's history.

What part rule breakers, and innovators like Knaus have to play in NASCAR's future, only time, NASCAR, and it's appeal process, will tell.