KNOXVILLE, TN :: Chad Finchum was disqualified from his fourth win of the season at Kingsport Speedway after NASCAR officials discovered the camshaft in the motor was the wrong camshaft. The inspection came after a competitor lodged a protest over Finchum’s engine.
Following the discovery of the camshaft, Ford Motor Company’s racing engine development program ran the serial numbers and verified that their company placed the wrong camshaft in the engine.
“First of all, we went over and had the inspection today at the race shop they told us to show up at,” said James Finchum. “We had Lynn Carroll, Robert Pressley, Robbie White, Charlie Long, Pat Shell, James Finchum and Chad Finchum. The engine was all good. Everything checked off good except the camshaft in the engine. When they found the camshaft was not the correct camshaft, Robert White stopped, got Ford Engine Development on the phone and Ford verified the serial number on the camshaft. Ford will release a press release tomorrow. They are taking full responsibility on this motor.
“It’s a Ford Racing Engine issue. Ford Technology checked it, pulled number on the engine, saw where they put the wrong camshaft and took full responsibility. Lynn Carroll was on the phone with them, he knows it was a Ford issue and not a Finchum issue.”
Kingsport has not made an official announcement regarding Finchum’s disqualification yet. Ford Motor Company’s racing engine development program will release a statement tomorrow.
