Chad Knaus, the former NASCAR crew chief for seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmy Johnson, is someone who has a lot of experience in the world of stock car racing. The Rockford, Illinois native broke his silence this week on an issue that has plagued the 2022 season.
The introduction of Next generation cars With their 18-inch wheels and single-lug tires, this year brought the problem of wheels coming off cars on the track. With 17 races already done and dusted, this bizarre event has managed to appear 11 times so far this year. Leading teams such as Hendrick Motorsports And Joe Gibbs Racing were also facing issues, resulting in suspensions for their respective crew members.
Knaus, who is now vice president of competition at Hendrick Motorsports, recently spoke on the subject on NASCAR Racing Center and say:
“No one in the industry is safe from this right now. To say we don’t have a problem is simply blind. You cannot deny that we have a mechanical problem. Yes, we can say whatever we want, that if they slow down, they do well, this, that and the other. You can’t do that in a competitive environment, can you.
Knaus then spoke in more detail about the penalty imposed for a loose wheel on the track, which involved the suspension of the jack, tire iron and crew chief for a specific period of time. He mentioned Bubba Wallace Jr.the case and declared:
“So they (Wallace’s team) had a problem at COTA. A wheel came off. Honestly, in my opinion, I think it was a mechanical issue that resulted in a loose wheel. The wheel comes off. Then you take the guys that they thought were the best that were on that pit crew and you take them away, right. So these guys are no longer participating. So how many of those penalties were the result of the guys who were better not being on that team?
NASCAR Crew Chief Cliff Daniels Echoes Chad Knaus’ Sentiments on Freewheeling Issues
Kyle Larson’s suspended crew chief Cliff Daniels echoed Chad Knaus’ opinions on NASCAR’s loose wheel issue and the penalties imposed for it. Daniels made his thoughts on the subject clear in April of this year and said:
“If something breaks down or something doesn’t go as planned and a wheel, God forbid, comes off, which we all agree is a huge safety issue, then we’re going to make an even bigger safety issue next time. This team is coming to the track because we are going to suspend for four weeks two of these guys who are the best experts that this team has at that time to run their car. We so we’re going to sideline them for four weeks and we’re going to bring in two less experienced guys to go to the car pit and do the same thing. So that doesn’t make any sense in itself.
Listen to the full interview below:
It remains to be seen what changes will be made by NASCAR to limit the appearance of loose wheels on the track.
