‘He is still involved in calling a race,’ Bubba Wallace’s spotter Freddie Kraft calls out the inefficiency in Crew Chief suspension in the light of Kyle Larson’s No:5 team enduring such fate
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Bubba Wallace, Freddie Kraft and Kyle Larson
The Next-Car’s introduction has revolutionised the NASCAR competitiveness to an extent, though it is yet to reach the point it was expected to be. The car has also some negatives with it also such as the recurring wheel losses or crashes it causes which most of the time forces NASCAR to penalize the crew chiefs or crew members of teams. The single-wheel nut has been among the most challenging part for the teams as it was a regular seen in the majority of the races this season where a driver lost his tire during the race.
The No:5 Hendrick Motorsports team is represented by defending cup series champion Kyle Larson on the track was the latest driver to see his wheel coming off and his crew chief going for a 4-week suspension which he faces as an outcome. The tire coming made the pole-sitter Larson who was all set for front Finnish at P15 and the HMS team is in need to name a crew chief that will lead the team on the upcoming race at Nashville after this week’s mid-season break.
Though the suspension seems hard on the team the paper, in the real world it has very few locations a sit only denies the suspended individual from accessing the Pit Box on race days while it doesn’t deny them the chance to be in contact with the team. This means that the teams can easily replace or accommodate the losses that might occur by simply just being in contact with the crew chief who will stay out of the Pit but makes the race day calls. Bubba Wallace’s crew chief Freddie Kraft is not happy about such things playing out he calls out NASCAR for the inefficient penalty system.
Find out what Freddie Kraft said
Fredy Kraft acknowledged that he wants to go back to the points penalty as it was done in the past as the crew chief suspension which was introduced though had some positive effects is yet to have any significant effects that reduce the incidents. He went on laying out a new penalty plan for the teams as he proposed a 10-point penalty for the first incident, 25 points if it re-occurred, or 50 points deduction and onwards. Freddie Kraft pointed out that crew chief suspension is not that effective as it just keeps the keep only away from the pit box though he is still involved in the on-race calls.
“I still go back to the points penalty. Obviously, nothing’s really changed, I mean it’s gotten a little bit better but we still see issues every week,” Freddie Kraft said.
“I just think that if you give them a points penalty, and it re-occurring. So, you get a 10-point penalty for the first time it happens, then a 25-point penalty if it happens again, maybe a 50. Taking the crew chief away, we’ve talked about this for years. He’s not really going anywhere, he’s just not on the pit box. He is still involved in calling a race,” Freddie Kraft added.
The points and arguments put forth by the spotter seem very logical as the modern technology along with other communication methods can nearly equal the effect the physical presence of the crew chief has on his team. By giving severe point penalties the chiefs might become more conscious about their calls as the Next-Gen cars have to a limit making the racing much more competitive making every point earned vital for the survival of the team in the future.
Also read: Impressive: How the 2022 season so far has been for Trackhouse Racing divers in NASCAR Cup Series
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Justin P Joy
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