NASCAR's New Trend: Benching the Pit Crew?

Benching the team in the middle of a race looks to be a trend that may catch on in NASCAR just as it does in other major sports when players are pulled from a game.

The super-team that once performed flawlessly under the guidance of crew chief Chad Knaus has been faltering with pit stops. At Texas Motor Speedway, their performance caused Jimmie Johnson to lose position, which, under the circumstances of the Chase, is intolerable.

The Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton crash-fest left Gordon's crew without a car in the race, so in a dramatic turn of events following the shoving contest of the two Jeffs, Chad Knaus made a bold move by yanking the over-the-wall crew for the Lowe's No. 48 car and replacing them with Gordon's crew.

What makes this a new twist on team swapping is that it took place during the race.  Team owners decide to switch teams whenever they see fit and it is usually a smart move, but it is done during the week so the teams understand why the change is made and have time to adjust before the next race.  They aren't treated like bad children who are being sent to their room.

Knaus said, "Ultimately it was my decision to make the decision, as we were getting beat.  I hope we get back with the 48 guys and get things back on track."

Heading to Phoenix, Johnson went from a 14-point lead to a 33-point deficit. 

In an article by David Newton at ESPN.com he quoted Knaus as saying, "S---, I'll be honest with you: if Steve Letarte can call a better race, I'm going to put him on top of my box.  It's about trying to win a championship.  That's all that matters."

It has now been announced that Gordon's No. 24 team will now be the crew for Jimmie Johnson during the final two races at Phoenix and Homestead.

Rick Hendrick may have set a precedent that will play out with other teams.  In the future, a team could be benched when it would benefit another teammate if one of the drivers was involved in a crash just as Jeff Gordon was.  Just put the best team on the most important car.

Loyalty is out the window and if you can't get the job done as part of the crew, you are out and someone else will replace you.  You have to wonder how the morale factor is going to play out. 

At Hendrick Motorsports, the No. 24 and No. 48 teams are housed together and are supposed to work like one team.  The whole group of four teams at HMS are supposed to be one big happy family, but we all know that falls in the category of "make believe."

Perhaps Hendrick should have done some more team switching within his operation.  Could the Knaus team have moved down to the No. 88 pits and pushed Dale Earnhardt Jr. to a top-10 finish? 

It might have been futile, but who knows. Lance McGrew and his team could have just as easily packed up the Dupont Chevy. 

Though Knaus made a gutsy call to pull the Lowe's team, it could be the beginning of an unraveling of that team.  Hendrick said he would make changes at the end of the year. 

You can bet there will be lots of changes right down the line with at least three of the four teams.  Alan Gustafson may stay with Martin, but it would not be a surprise to see him swapped with McGrew.

NASCAR wants to make a run against major sports like football, baseball and basketball.  At the AAA 500 in Texas, one more step was taken with the benching of the Lowe's No. 48 team.  It is another new page and new policy that is apt to cause future shakeups during race conditions.

Was it the right move and will it save Johnson from losing his fifth consecutive title?  We will know after the next two races, but rest assured ripples from the Hendrick/Knaus decision may reach farther than they anticipated.

NASCAR is big bucks, big business, and performance is all that matters, so just as in other big businesses, everyone is disposable.