Red Bull Repentent Over Huge Penalty

Brian Vickers and Red Bull Racing weren't expecting to be the big news of the week -- especially after ex-Formula 1 driver Scott Speed made his Sprint Cup debut at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday.

Instead, the team was given all but a heavy dose of corporal punishment Wednesday afternoon thanks to NASCAR finding that the sheet metal on Vickers' No. 83 was too thin for NASCAR's specifications.

The lack of depth left Vickers with 150 less points (drops from 15th to 17th in the driver point standings) and without a car cheif (Craig Smokstad) or crew chief (Kevin Hamlin) for an unknown amount of time after both were suspended indefinitely by NASCAR.

Ouch.

However, the team took complete responsibility for the violation in a subsequent press release saying they wouldn't appeal the ruling and that they realize it's a "privilege" to compete in NASCAR. Ominous words for the person mainly behind this penalty were also included in the release as it said "necessary steps will be taken to rectify the situation and ensure it won't happen again".

All that being said, what in the world does it mean and why does it help for a team to have thin sheet metal?

For that, we'll turn to the folks over at Fox Sports that first reported this story Tuesday night.

According to sources familiar with the situation, the sides of the car - the doors, fenders and quarter panels - were too thin. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rule book states that teams must use a minimum of 24 gauge (0.025 inch thick) sheet steel for their car bodies. Also, the practice of "acid dipping or chemical milling," which makes the sheet metal thinner, is strictly forbidden.

One individual close to the situation said acid dipping would allow a fabricator to make the metal thinner. Once the steel is sanded and painted, it is nearly impossible for NASCAR to detect.

Alright, so if this sheet metal is thin, how can a team benefit from such a move?

It's simple really -- when sheet metal is thinner, it weighs less. NASCAR imposes a minimum weight limit, so the team then compensates for the change by putting lead weight ballasts in lower areas of the car that allow it to handle better.

It's a beautifully concocted plan to get by the rules, but its obvious now that it definitely wasn't worth it for Red Bull.

They deserved every penny and point of penalty they received -- this was an intentional violation -- but it still leaves NASCAR in the position that teams will still push the rules.

It's my belief that NASCAR will finally make headway on cheating issues in the sport when a team gets booted from racing in the next race or two because of the sponsorship implications. Unfortunately, that term -- sponsorship implications -- is likely the same reason NASCAR won't get that harsh.