Sport: Joe Gibbs Racing issues statement about Pocono disqualification

By yardbarker
july 26, 2022

Friday 5: How did it come to this for Kyle Busch?

A look at how Kyle Busch doesn't have a contract extension this late in the year, the impact of NASCAR racing at Chicago and the phone call Dale Jr. awaits.It seems unfathomable that Kyle Busch doesn’t have a contract extension. The reality, though, is that a series of events have led to this situation.

Joe Gibbs Racing issued a statement on Monday after declining to fight the penalties they received from NASCAR.

On Sunday, JGR’s Nos. 11 and 18 cars finished 1-2 at the M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway. But both cars were disqualified after failing post-race inspections, giving the victory to third-place finisher Chase Elliott.

JGR had until midday Monday to appeal NASCAR’s penalties but declined to do so. They issued a statement about the situation and acknowledged the issues with the cars driven by Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.

NASCAR Saturday schedule at Pocono Raceway

Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series races are scheduled Saturday at Pocono Raceway. Also on the schedule are Cup practice and qualifying.Xfinity drivers will race at 5 p.m. ET (USA Network). Earlier in the day, Truck drivers will compete in a noon 150-mile race.

“In our review of the post-race infractions on the 11 and 18 cars at Pocono it was discovered that a single piece of clear tape was positioned over each of the lower corners of the front fascia ahead of the left-front and right-front wheel openings on both those cars. The added pieces were 2 inches wide and 5.5 inches long with a thickness of 0.012 inches and installed under the wrap. This change in our build process was not properly vetted within our organization and we recognize it is against NASCAR’s rules. We apologize to everyone for this mistake and we have made changes to our processes to ensure that it does not happen again,” JGR competition director Wally Brown said in a statement.

JGR essentially admitted “we got caught.”

NASCAR Cup Series starting lineup at Pocono

See where your favorite driver will be in the starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway (3 p.m. ET, USA Network).Hamlin won the pole with a lap of 169.991 miles per hour in the final round of qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday marked the first time since 1960 that a Cup race winner was disqualified. Both the top two finishers in the race were disqualified in this case.

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More must-reads:

Denny Hamlin gets revenge on Ross Chastain
Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch cars disqualified after failing inspections
The 'Recent 20-game winners' quiz

Related slideshow: The best racing movies (Provided by Yardbarker)

1/21 SLIDES © Paramount Pictures

The best racing movies

Most of us will never get in a race car. In fact, many of us never go more than 5 or 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. But racing actually films quite well, and that makes for some great sports movies with a lot of exciting action. Racing isn’t always done on an oval track either. Here are some of our favorite racing films ever. Hit the accelerator and get going!
2/21 SLIDES © 20th Century FOX

“Ford v. Ferrari” (2019)

“Ford v. Ferrari” didn’t just excite audiences. It also got a Best Picture nomination. Sure, many thought it was the least deserving of that group, but not because it wasn’t a good movie. It just felt like this film, starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, was more of a solid drama than a Best Picture candidate. It is solid, though, and a true story to boot.
3/21 SLIDES © Universal

“The Fast and the Furious” (2001)

It may be hard to remember, but the “Fast and Furious” movies used to be about street racing. Then they became about Dwayne Johnson breaking a cast by flexing and insane action adventures. Before the series was making a ton of money and bringing in stars like Jason Statham, it began with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker going a quarter mile at a time.
4/21 SLIDES © Paramount

“Days of Thunder” (1990)

Prior to “Ford vs. Ferrari,” “Days of Thunder” was thought by many to be among the best dramatic auto racing movies. In the Tony Scott film, Tom Cruise plays Cole Trickle, a hotshot open-wheel racer who becomes a NASCAR driver. If you are a fan of NASCAR, this may be the best of these movies for you.
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“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” (2006)

If you want a comedic take on auto racing, “Talladega Nights” is the best you are going to get. That is, if you are into Will Ferrell’s particular brand of humor. This is another film where he plays a confident loudmouth idiot, and the comedy isn’t exactly subtle. That being said, there are a ton of laughs to be had in this film.
5/21 SLIDES © Columbia, Sony

“Cars” (2006)

What if race cars didn’t need drivers? What if they just drove themselves because they are alive. “Cars” is about a bunch of, well, cars who live in a world without humans. That includes some race cars like Lightning McQueen, voiced by Owen Wilson. The universe of “Cars” is weird, but it inspired two sequels for Pixar.
6/21 SLIDES © Pixar

“Breaking Away” (1979)

Hey, we said racing films, not auto racing films. There are many ways to race, including on bikes. Maybe you are irked by this, but we had to include “Breaking Away.” That’s because this is perhaps the best racing movie ever, and it’s a pretty solid coming of age film too.
7/21 SLIDES © 20th Century Fox

“The Cannonball Run” (1981)

Not all races happen on a track. Some of them happen in the streets. “Cannonball Run” is a comedy based on an actual cross-country race. It’s an ensemble action comedy not unlike the “Wacky Racer” cartoons but with real cars and real stunts.
8/21 SLIDES © 20th Century Fox

“Senna” (2010)

We are including only one documentary, but it had to be “Senna.” This film, about the late Brazilian race car driver Ayrton Senna, isn’t just considered one of the best sports documentaries of recent years. It’s also simply one of the best-received documentaries of the last decade or so. A truly gripping telling of Senna’s story.
9/21 SLIDES © Universal

“Rush” (2013)

In the United States, Formula 1 isn’t that popular. In the rest of the world, though, it’s far and wide the most popular version of auto racing. You may not know James Hunt or Niki Lauda. You may not know much about the 1976 Formula 1 season. In that case, watch “Rush.” If nothing else, it co-stars Chris Hemsworth.
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“Le Mans” (1971)

Steve McQueen loved racing. He even did some actual race car driving, even though, you know, he was one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Making “Le Mans” was basically a dream project for him. In addition to using actual footage from a 24 Hours of Le Mans race, some filming was done during a race as well.
10/21 SLIDES © Universal

“The Love Bug” (1968)

Most cars don’t get a series of movies. Herbie, the titular Love Bug, did. This is the first film about the sentient Volkswagen Beetle. It’s a very ‘60s car, and this is a very ‘60s movie. It’s also about the only time you will see a Beetle being used in auto races and having success. That’ll happen when you are a car with a mind of its own.
11/21 SLIDES © National General Pictures

“Grand Prix” (1966)

They have been making racing movies since the silent era, but this is the earliest film on our list. “Grand Prix” is an ensemble drama about a fictional Formula 1 season. The ostensible lead is James Garner, who is best known for starring in “The Rockford Files.” “Grand Prix” was well received critically and won three technical Oscars.
12/21 SLIDES © Disney

“Speed Racer” (2008)

The Wachowskis make insane movies. “The Matrix," for example, was a huge hit, but it’s also quite nuts. They indulge in excellent filmmaking and it’s not for everybody. That’s why “Speed Racer,” an acid trip of a film, was kind of a bust. It has its fans, though, because an insane-looking cotton candy movie based on an old Japanese cartoon is what some people really want.
13/21 SLIDES © MGM

“Logan Lucky” (2017)

The main characters in Steven Soderbergh’s film aren’t race car drivers. They are downtrodden people who are pulling off a heist. It’s a heist movie, through and through. So why does it make this list? Because the heist is happening during the Coca-Cola 600, one of the biggest NASCAR races of the year. We see a lot of auto racing, and six different NASCAR drivers had small cameo roles, not as drivers.
14/21 SLIDES © Warner Bros.

“Eat My Dust!” (1976)

Ron Howard directed “Rush,” and he stars in “Eat My Dust!” Is it a good movie? Not really, as it’s a cheap Roger Corman flick. However, it’s a notable piece of movie history in a way. Corman told Howard that if he was willing to star in “Eat My Dust!” he would let Howard direct and star in another movie. That movie became "Grand Theft Auto," and it was the first movie Howard ever directed.
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“Need for Speed” (2014)

After “Breaking Bad,” Aaron Paul was a rising star. One of his first chances to try out movie stardom was “Need for Speed.” Unfortunately, like most movies based on video games it was considered kind of a bust, even if it made a decent amount of money. Paul is good in it, and Michael Keaton has a role as well, but the movie was kind of shrugged off.
15/21 SLIDES © Bleecker Street

“Seabiscuit” (2003)

There is a lot of horsepower in most of these movie. Here’s a film with a horsepower of…one. We are sticking one horse racing film into the mix, and that one is “Seabiscuit.” It’s a feel-good biography about a beloved underdog horse with a name you probably have heard. If you are in the mood for a retro biopic with a little bit of sappiness to it, you can do a lot worse than “Seabiscuit.”
16/21 SLIDES © New World Pictures

“Rat Race” (2001)

“Rat Race” is basically a ripoff of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” Why does it make our list? Well, it has “race” in the title for one. Two, in “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” there isn’t a real race, even if people are all striving to be the first to find a treasure. In “Rat Race,” there is an actual race going on. The slapstick comedy doesn’t always work, but it’s a decent enough comedy.
17/21 SLIDES © Touchstone/Dreamworks

“Death Race 2000” (1975)

“Death Race 2000” didn’t predict what the world would be like at the turn of the millennium, and we should all be thankful. This is another Roger Corman production, which means it’s lean, mean and not interested in being subtle. There is plenty of violence and a ton of schlock. There’s just a smidge of satire and comedy to it as well. Plus, it features acting from David Carradine and a pre-Rocky Balboa Sylvester Stallone.
18/21 SLIDES © Touchstone/Dreamworks

“Thunderbolt” (1995)

Are you aware that there is a racing movie that stars Jackie Chan. There is, and it’s this one. This Hong Kong action flick features Chan as a race car driver and, of course, as per usual he’s doing his own stunts. Well, not all of them. No, not because he was worried. Chan had hurt himself making “Rumble in the Bronx,” so he did only the stunts he was physically able to do, including plenty that involved his injured leg.

NASCAR at Michigan live updates: Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. chase first checkered flag of season at FireKeepers Casino 400 .
NASCAR at Michigan live updates: Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. chase first checkered flag of season at FireKeepers Casino 400Among those drivers are Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr., who are both on the bubble (Truex is in, Harvick is out heading into Sunday). With that in mind expect aggressive races from them. Truex is starting seventh whereas Harvick is starting 16th.