Carl Long illegal engine?

According to the Jayski team chart page, Ernie Elliott is the engine supplier for Carl Long's team. He also provides the engines for the #09 car when Sterling Marlin or Mike Bliss are racing it. I think Ernie Elliott provided engines for Chip Ganassi Racing last year too.

I think it's unfair to penalize Carl Long with a record penalty when this incident doesn't seem to be intentional and he had no chance of being competitive. The fines, suspensions, and points penalties are all way too excessive. I hope they can work the penalty down some because a $200,000 fine is a killer for a single-car part-time team.

This was a cheap engine that was at least 50hp below being competitive, Carl said this along with saying it was all he could afford.

The engine block's bore was ever so slightly oversize resulting in 358.17 cubic inches and the rule is 358 cubic inches maximum. .17 cubic inches from 8 cylinders is only a few thousands of an inch per cylinder and the power difference this might make would not be measurable.(less than 1/3 hp)

Nascar is ridgid on the 358 cu in figure because of the way it came about. Originally the spec was 350 cu inches. The engines were allowed slightly larger bores for wear and rebuilds resulting in 5 more cu inches making the max 355. They all built 355 engines and some would measure slightly over 355 with wear. This all lead to arguements, a grey area where some engines were not disallowed that were off by a slight thousanth of an inch. Nascar changed the rule to 358 cubic inches with the warning that there was no longer a grey area and ANY amount above 358 would be disallowed no matter how small the amount was. 358 is the absolute maximum.

The engine builder used a block that was worn out to save money building the engine, then he sold it to a team that would have little chance of having it inspected. Carl didn't know it was illegal or he wouldn't have asked Nascar to let him change engines when there was a problem with it. An engine change gives Nascar the right to inspect the engine that is removed. They inspected it and found the discrepancy.

The Penalties are excessive and I think they will be reduced under the appeal.

The real measure of volume would be to measure the combustion chambers with a liquid and determine the full stroke of the piston, within the measured combustion chamber. If the stroke is shorter than specified the cubic inch displacement may be less. That may be acheived by oversize bearings. I think it's wrong of NASCAR, because there must be given a percentage to accuracy.

Although thats a huge fine I agree with him getting punished. If NASCAR has 1 rule with no gray area its the engine. In the past people always complained that NASCAR was inconsistent in their fines and punishments. Unlikely but if they did nothing whats to stop a top team from trying to sneak in something illegal? If Roush, HMS, or RCR did it they would get the same huge fine.

The "violation" is so slight as to be a problem with wear on the measuring equipment. It was not an intentional violation. It was a problem with an engine supplier, not the team. Carl is the type of person that made NASCAR. Couldn't NASCAR just fine him the points he earned with the "illegal" engine if they had to do anything!

NASCAR is sending me a clear message. "If you don't have a major sponsor, and millions of working capitol, stay home".

Do you suppose this policy carries over into their drug testing policy too???

NASCAR always said DON"T MESS WITH "the Engines, the fuel, or the tires" that is the big 3 NO NOs of NASCAR!

Yep biggest penalty in NASCAR history...$200,000, 200 points and 12 race suspension. Thats huge.

I don't know who eelse supplies engines for the teams..but NASCAR inspects them with a fine tooth comb. I kinda feel sorry for the guy. Usually the driver is the innocent victim...but its a team sport...yanno???

Long was suspended for 12 races and fined $200K, so the punishment does not fit the crime. It sounds to me like NASSCAR is trying to drive the small shops out of the business when it was small shops that made sport.