Kenny Wallace recently came to the defense of Hendrick Motorsports’ owner, Rick Hendrick, and chairman, Jeff Gordon, amid criticisms over their handling of driver Alex Bowman‘s race. While Wallace supported the leadership, the discussion among fans brought up Chad Knaus, the Vice President of Competition at Hendrick Motorsports, known for his past strategies in car manipulation during his time as Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief.
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Knaus, who oversees the competition aspects of all four Hendrick Cup Series teams, has a storied career as a crew chief, winning seven championships with Jimmie Johnson, including an unprecedented five consecutive titles from 2006 to 2010. His record includes 82 wins, placing him third all-time among crew chiefs for victories.
Wallace suggested that any oversight was likely a minor mistake at a lower level, asserting, “I can promise you. Rick Henry, Jeff Gordon, they had no idea. And I can guarantee you there was a shock as anybody. […] Here’s what most likely happened. They messed up! Human error.”
However, fans were quick to point out a missing piece in Wallace’s defense, highlighting Knaus’s role and past. One fan remarked, “You left out one significant name…Chad Knaus, Vice President of Competition, need I say more :)” Another added, “Ok agree jeff Gordon, and certainly Mr h didn’t know. But this smells of bad Chad Knaus and he’s around. But we will never know.”
Echoing the broader conversation, another NASCAR fan chimed in, “You are probably right. However, I like joking around given its the #48. So does Chad Knaus have a alibi?”
Kenny Wallace Show
Why do people blame Rick Hendrick and @JeffGordonWeb on the @Alex_Bowman DQ ? pic.twitter.com/ks3c1WqqJl
— Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) October 14, 2024
The reason this topic is hot among fans is that Knaus has a history of bending the rules. Notably, in 2006, NASCAR ejected Knaus from Speedweeks after discovering modifications to Johnson’s car post-qualifying lap. Then, in 2007, he faced a six-race suspension for manipulating the front bumpers on Johnson’s car at Sonoma.
Knaus’s track record took another hit in 2012 when an infraction at Daytona resulted in his fourth suspension as a crew chief since 2001. These incidents contribute to the lingering suspicion and discussions among fans regarding his influence on the #48 team strategies.
What did Gordon say about the DQ and the decision not to appeal?
Jeff Gordon addressed the disqualification of the #48 Chevrolet team and their decision not to appeal during a “Morning Drive” segment on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. He explained that the decision was influenced by the lack of exculpatory evidence found during the post-race inspection.
Gordon noted that several factors were considered, including potential damage from Bowman’s curb hop on the front stretch chicane early in the race. He mentioned, “NASCAR was great through the whole process. You can’t really inspect much of it at the race track, so we weren’t really sure, but they took it over to the tech center, looked at it yesterday, and thoroughly examined it and didn’t find anything.”
He continued, explaining the fine balance teams must maintain: “So, quite honestly, it’s just one of those things where NASCAR has minimum pre-race, minimum post-race weights, and our teams in order to just make the best-performing race cars every weekend for our drivers, we know that we’ve got to stay as close to those minimums as possible, and in this case, the 48 car, they just cut it too close and missed it, and so that’s on us.”
Gordon described the situation as quite embarrassing for the team and concluded that after reviewing all the facts, there was nothing they felt could justify an appeal. He also assured that the team would review and possibly adjust their procedures and processes to better meet inspection tolerances in future races.
