“They Just Got Caught”- Kenny Wallace Speaks Up on Denny Hamlin-Backed Underdog Driver’s Futile Attempt to Deceive NASCAR

NASCAR has a reputation for being steadfast in enforcing its rules, leaving no stone unturned. While occasionally a minor oversight might slip under their radar, they inevitably catch up and set the record straight.

Case in point: an oversight in the NASCAR Truck Series recently came back to bite a Denny Hamlin-supported dark horse, causing a loss of crucial points to him and his team before the qualifiers at the Milwaukee Mile.

Are some tricks of the trade older than we think, as Kenny Wallace believes?

Recalling the Richmond race, when Chris Buescher zoomed past JGR luminary Denny Hamlin, the latter didn’t mince his words, pointing out Ford’s shortcomings on the same track in the Truck Series, despite its pole victory. However, on the same instant, championing the ThorSport Racing driver, Hamlin remarked, “even in the traffic he was dramatically faster than the field, so he tried to throw away with the speeding penalty.” While appreciating the driver, he spared no effort in criticizing Ford’s track performance.

But tables have turned, and now Ty Majeski and his crew are in the hot seat for reportedly incorporating a forbidden part in the NASCAR Truck Series: a valve stem cap designed to deflate the tire. Craftily, this cap was fitted with an internal stem to exert pressure on the valve.

To test their suspicions, NASCAR dug deep, submerging the tire in an underwater tank. The rising air bubbles seemed to confirm their speculations. The misstep was identified before qualifying, leading to Majeski’s absence from the Milwaukee showdown due to the contentious valve stem cap.

While the penalty landed on the gentler side of the L2 range since the catch was made pre-qualifying, NASCAR has started showcasing banned parts as a visual warning to rivals and for media insight. The contentious piece made its way to Kansas Speedway for all eyes to see.

But here’s where the plot thickens: Xfinity stalwart Kenny Wallace stepped into the limelight to talk about the trick. Taking to Twitter, he shared the video of NASCAR Truck Series managing director, Seth Kramlich, captioned, “Old school “bleed off valve”. Been around for years in @NASCAR.. (They just got caught).”

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The statement seemingly suggests that this might not be a new trick, but only now has it been brought into the limelight by NASCAR.

Indeed, Kenny Wallace wasn’t the lone voice to weigh in on the penalty. The iconic Dale Earnhardt Jr. also didn’t miss a beat and weighed in on the matter via Twitter. Dale Jr., while tipping his hat to NASCAR for catching these crafty techniques, stated that such tricks lurked in the shadows of the sport for many years.

Yet, the burning question remains: How will this penalty, if imposed, shuffle the deck for Ty Majeski’s playoff standings?

Will the penalty impact Ty Majeski’s playoff position?

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Upon entering Kansas Speedway, Majeski had a track record to boast: five series starts with one impressive top-five finish, two finishes in the top-10, and a lead in 27 laps. His victory lap at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on Aug. 11 had already punched his ticket to Round 8 of the series playoffs.

However, can this penalty turn the tables around? When the hammer came down on Majeski and his team, NASCAR pointed to rules 14.16.1 and 14.16.1.A&C, classifying the infringement as an L2 penalty. This hiccup led to a deduction of 75 driver points and 5 playoff points from Majeski’s.

On the team front, a drop of 75 owner points was slapped on. To add salt to the wound, crew chief Joe Shear Jr. was handed a hefty $25,000 fine and benched for four races.

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Yet, with Majeski riding high in second place, boasting 2033 points, one victory, and two stage wins, this setback might just be watering off a duck’s back. But the question still hanging in the air is: Has this trick been an open secret in NASCAR, flying under the radar till now, just as Kenny Wallace and Dale Earnhardt Jr. hinted?