The best RCR move was they used a narrow rear bumper cover on the rear of their car for years. They would go to Daytona and get caught every year.
But they would change the cover before the race and replace it with another narrow one NASCAR never checked after it was replaced. If you look back in practice they often had primer on the rear bumper.
Things began to get ugly as technology advanced. Traction control came to NASCAR in the 90’s. The wires were bondo’d into the floor. Some wired it to a chip in the MSD box that would get tossed before the driver came in.
Reports of a Miller car having a remote system that a crew member in the stands would activate was used. The car was seen by a reporter at a home in an attached garage. NASCAR mix’s the corners to catch any engine skipping a beat.
Let’s not forget the lead radio’s and helmets.
Andy Petrie used a Cutlass trunk latch that was electric to lower a deck Lid on the track. A flip of a switch the spoiler came down out of the air.
Wood spacers in the springs that held the car up. They would break and lower the cars.
Oversize engines were common. Even Pettys 199th win was on a oversized Maurice engine.
Jim Busby ran a 911 that had an altered wheel base. No one caught it till they went to restore the car. The owner called Jim and said the fender won’t fit. Jim gave him a number of a company that could help. The fenders they sent fit but only Jim’s car.
One if the great rules challenge was the Penske Mercedes push rod Indy engine. It was built and developed in secrecy and went on to dominate the race. Then it was banned.
No one caught it but Mario almost did. Penske tested in the winter at Nazareth. Mario could hear it from his home. He knew something did not sound right but could not put his finger on it.
The Everham T Rex was fully legal but was never permitted to come back.
We also raced many short tracks. If you didn’t cheat you didn’t compete. We all used illegal things. We were required pump gas but when the cars fired up it smelled like a fleet of airplanes. No one turned anyone in because none were without sin.
Even in Soap Box derby cheating is common. I had one father get unglued on me because my wife at the bottom of the hill turned a wheel around in the required wheel swap. I was puzzled at first why he was upset. Well we found when they required a progressive wheel swap at the local race where the wheels moved on from your car during the event. He pulled his daughters car.
Why? He was likely running wheels with a bad outside bearing and he adjusted his axles to run on the inside bearing. If the wheels left his car he may have been caught. Sad when cheating gets to this level with kids.
I love the cheating in adult racing but with kids we always ran a legal car. Kids should not be mixed up in this.
