Brad Coleman expects that Dave Rogers will be his crew chief for the races he runs in the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide Series car this year. That would only happen, of course, if Rogers gets reinstated by NASCAR. Rogers, fellow crew chief Jason Ratcliff and five other Joe Gibbs Racing crewmen were indefinitely suspended for manipulating the throttle of their cars prior to a test to determine their engine horsepower following the race in Michigan last August. The team is expected to apply for their reinstatement prior to the beginning of the 2009 season.(Scene Daily)(1-20-2009)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing hopes to have currently suspended Dave Rogers and Jason Ratcliff resume their Nationwide Series crew chief roles in time for the second race of the 2009 season, which comes at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway. For the organizaiton to do that, NASCAR would have to reinstate the crew chiefs prior to the start of the season, team president J.D. Gibbs said Tuesday night. When NASCAR officially says which they havent [that] its over, well hold them one more race, Gibbs said. They havent said what theyre going to do. Hopefully they will say theyre reinstated for next year and well probably hold them from Daytona.(Scene Daily)(1-21-2009)
UPDATE 2: NASCAR has reinstated Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide Series crew chiefs Dave Rogers and Jason Ratcliff as well as five other team crewmen who were suspended indefinitely last August. The NASCAR suspensions lasted 10 races. They were part of a penalty for attempting to limit the cars throttle response during a horsepower test following the event at Michigan International Speedway.(Sceme Daily)(1-22-2009)
