NASCAR Cup

Dover II: Rick Hendrick press conference

Rick Hendrick, Owner of Hendrick Motorsports ON CURRENT METHODS USED FOR GUAGING PIT ROAD SPEED "With the age of electronics we ought to be doing it with a wire. Take the guess work out of it. You don't want somebody up there with a stop ...

Published: Sep 27, 2004, 1:43 PM

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Rick Hendrick, Owner of Hendrick Motorsports

ON CURRENT METHODS USED FOR GUAGING PIT ROAD SPEED

"With the age of electronics we ought to be doing it with a wire. Take the guess work out of it. You don't want somebody up there with a stop watch making a decision on the championship. That's what you got. Maybe they'll get it fixed."

IS IT SUPRISING THEY'RE USING STOPWATCHES?

"It really is when one of our sponsors, Delphi, went to them over a year ago with technology to fix that. But if it came to putting some stands here or selling some more tickets, they'd be doing it. Spending a little money to take the guess work out of it, I guess the tracks don't want to do it."

DOES IT SEEM LIKE THEY WANT SOME WIGGLE ROOM?

"I would hate to be the guy that cost a guy a championship because his finger was a little quick on a stop watch. Look at where they're standing and they're trying to use a stop watch. Everybody is human. I just think we ought to take the human element out of it."

DID YOU HAVE A STOP WATCH DURING JIMMIE JOHNSON'S PIT STOP?

"No. I wouldn't trust my time anyway. That's my point."

DO YOU THINK THE REASON THEY USE A STOP WATCH IS BECAUSE OF MONEY?

"I don't know why. You'll have to ask them. I don't know. I just know that Formula One and so many other sports, you can see it on pit road. It's precise. You've got the information. Here's a tape. All the teams can use that later to know what they're doing."

WHAT WAS NASCAR'S RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENTS?

"Not going to do anything this year. Maybe next year. Hey, if we win a race next year. I would hate to be NASCAR. They're getting scrutinized in certain areas. If you can do it electronically, then do it electronically. Take all the guess work out of it. We're like living in the 50's. We used stop watches back when I started 20 years. It's telemetry now. You don't see a crew chief out there. They don't carry those old stop watches because they can't get it down. The real deal is we got telemetry now. Maybe if CBS and FOX says they need them in the cars they'll get them."

WERE YOU CLEAR WITH WHAT YOU SAW ON YOUR TACHOMETER?

"Absolutely. I'm more scared on pit road than anyone. I've got guys out running me and I'll speed up to fudge with them when you're in a pack and you can get away with it. I left pit road. I was on my marks running my pit road speed. They said I was fast. It's just he said, she said thing right now because we don't have anything solid to prove otherwise."

HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU BEEN NAILED FOR SPEEDING BY NASCAR?

"That's my very first time in six years."

-gm racing-

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