NASCAR officials confiscated all four tires from Johnny Sauter’s #43 Channellock Chevy following Saturday’s Busch Series race at New Hampshire and has sent them to the Charlotte, NC, area for chemical analysis. NASCAR spokesman Mike Zizzo said Sauter’s #43, fielded by Curb-Agajanian Motorsports, was selected as a car to be randomly inspected after the race because “of a comparison of its lap times with those of the race leaders.” Sauter started the race in 27th and remained in the middle of the pack for most of the first third of the race. After pitting for what the team said was to reconnect a plug wire, Sauter’s Chevrolet came to life and he moved through the field and took the lead on Lap 142 of 200 from Kevin Harvick, who had led the first 141 laps. Sauter made a green-flag pit stop on Lap 144, but a caution came out when he was on the pit road and he went a lap down. However, Sauter regained the lap on another caution on Lap 151. He later had to park his car on Lap 177 for engines problems. Zizzo said the car underwent a complete tear-down, including an examination of its electrical components. No other irregularities were found. Members of the team were not available for comment.(Thatsracin.com)(7-19-2003)
UPDATE: NASCAR officials said it would be at least the end of next week before results are in from a chemical analysis on the four tires used by Johnny Sauter’s #43 Chevy in Saturday’s Busch race at New Hampshire. NASCAR took the tires following an intense inspection of the car, including an examination of its electrical systems. The car was called in for inspection because of “a comparison of lap times with those of the race leaders.”(Thatsracin.com)(7-20-2003)
UPDATE 2: Johnny Sauter’s tires were confiscated after the New England 200 Busch Series race on Saturday. After the team blew a motor on lap 177, NASCAR impounded the car and took apart the suspension, including springs, shocks and the electrical system. Team owner Cary Agajanian said NASCAR suspected a traction control device. He also said on Sunday he expects his team to be exonerated.(FoxSports)(7-22-2003)
UPDATE 3: No action will likely be take against Johnny Sauter’s Curb-Agajanian Motorsports team after tires were confiscated July 19 at New Hampshire, according to Busch Series Director Brian DeHart.(Winston Cup Scene via BGNRacing.com)(7-31-2003)
UPDATE 4: Despite published reports to the contrary, NASCAR has not completed the investigation of tires used on driver Johnny Sauter’s #43 Chevy in the July 19 Busch Series race at New Hampshire, spokesman Mize Zizzo said Saturday. Following the race, NASCAR did a complete teardown of Sauter’s Chevrolet after comparing his lap times with those of the race leader after a pit stop. No irregularities were found, but NASCAR confiscated all four tires from the car and sent them to Charlotte, N.C., for chemical analysis. Those results are not expected until this week, NASCAR’s Zizzo said.(Thatsracin.com)(8-2-2003)
