Chad Knaus says he has good documentation for the NASCAR appeal

   Crew chief Chad Knaus, in NASCAR's cross-hairs again (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
  

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   "We didn’t expect this," he says. "It's not the way we wanted to start the season."
   The body part in question, Knaus said, was judged illegal on a visual inspection rather than a template inspection.
    "It was all visual," he says.  "The templates were never actually put on the car. 
    "It was a visual inspection; we never even got the opportunity to actually present that under templates. 
     "It is unfortunate there is a bit of subjectiveness to it, and that is why we are going through the appeal."
     Without Knaus at the track, Johnson's team probably shouldn't suffer much, if any, because team owner Rick Hendrick has the largest operation in the sport.
    "We are very fortunate we have a lot of depth," Knaus says. "We have a lot of very intelligent people...some people who probably do this job a hell of a lot better than me there. 
    "I'm not really too concerned right now."
    The penalties include a points deduction that leave Johnson in the negative going into Sunday's Phoenix race.
    "I think it is going to make it exciting," Knaus says. "We seem to get through adversity pretty well. 
    "I'm not saying we like a challenge like this, but I'm pretty sure we will rise to the occasion."
     Knaus says Hendrick himself is involved in the appeal.
    "Mr. Hendrick has taken a special interest in this," Knaus says. "
    "We do a really good job of documenting what it is that we do to these race cars..how they have been changed, what's been done.
    "We document everything, just so we don't get ourselves in this position."
    Knaus says he's become almost numb to the extra attention his team gets from NASCAR inspectors.
    And he says having to be the one to take the penalty "is an unfortunate part of the job.
    "As a leader of a team like this you have to be ready for it."