Now We Have "Partgate"
Jess
Well I hoped last night that MWR wasn't the team Roush was talking about but those hopes were dashed literally minutes after I'd written that post. There are so many articles out there that I couldn't possibly give links to them all, but generally I've gotten three different stories from all that I've seen.
1. In September 2007, at Dover, an MWR crewman took a special swaybar from Roush Racing. In January 2008, the vendor that made the part called Roush Racing, letting them know that MWR had called them wanting replicates made of the swaybar. Roush realized the swaybar was missing, called MWR and told them to return it. MWR returned it.
2. In September 2007, at Dover, an MWR crewman took a special swaybar from Roush Racing. In January 2008, Roush Racing realized the part was missing, called MWR and told them to return it. MWR returned it.
3. In September 2007, at Dover, an MWR crewman took a special swaybar from Roush Racing. In January 2008, MWR realized the part wasn't theirs, called Roush and told them they would return it. MWR returned it.
Additionally, the swaybar was clearly labelled (possibly questioning the intention of taking the part) and may or may not have been sandblasted (Roush says it was, Michael does not know if it was).
So who is lying?
Michael claims that he does not know that someone from MWR apparently called the vendor to get replicate parts. But if someone actually did call the vendor, that hints to me even if they didn't intentionally take the part, wouldn't they have noticed that they had never seen the part before? And gee, do you think it's a great idea to call the part's vendor for more of the same part when you think it might not have been your part to begin with?
But let's say that no vendor was involved and just somehow Roush found out that MWR had the part. How did he do this? The only way I can think of is that MWR knew the part was Roush's and someone let it slip to Roush. If no one knew it was Roush's, Roush wouldn't have found out MWR had it. So someone knew. And if they knew, it didn't stop MWR apparently from sandblasting it.
I'd like to think it was just an innocent mix-up in the hustle and bustle of the garage and MWR took the part by an honest mistake. Even if it was, I'd be disappointed and concerned that MWR wouldn't know their own parts enough to realize later that the part wasn't theirs - and then do work on it and/or try to get more of it. I mean, new, interesting parts don't just magically pop up out of nowhere.
It's so disheartening. Although I do think in a lot of ways it's getting blown off as another anti-Toyota rant Roush loves to publicize it is yet more negative publicity for Michael and MWR. It also brings back that Roush vs. MWR conspiracy theory for Daytonagate last season (a theory I think is absolutely freaking ridiculous, by the way) and adds more fuel to the fire. Plus, I'm getting nervous about how Toyota is starting to feel about MWR. It's so irritating that Roush is saying "the Toyota team"...who cares if it's a Toyota team? Toyota didn't tell MWR to steal a part! Give me a break! It was MWR, okay? When Roush Racing cheated did people freak out over Ford? No! But anyway, I'm worried because from the beginning it's been MWR's actions giving Toyota a bad name. Daytonagate and now this. Moreover, I believe the contracts of both NAPA and UPS are up this season. They are two very loyal and wonderful sponsors but they've also been through a very bad 2007 season. How much more can they be expected to take?
It just seems like when everything looks clear something else puts a dark cloud over MWR. For their sake I hope with all my heart that this blows over and isn't as serious as Roush is trying to make it sound. MWR needs to run well and leave all this scandal behind them. I know they're a good team. I truly believe they will be a great, respected organization one day. I just hope they can survive every punch that's thrown at them.
1. In September 2007, at Dover, an MWR crewman took a special swaybar from Roush Racing. In January 2008, the vendor that made the part called Roush Racing, letting them know that MWR had called them wanting replicates made of the swaybar. Roush realized the swaybar was missing, called MWR and told them to return it. MWR returned it.
2. In September 2007, at Dover, an MWR crewman took a special swaybar from Roush Racing. In January 2008, Roush Racing realized the part was missing, called MWR and told them to return it. MWR returned it.
3. In September 2007, at Dover, an MWR crewman took a special swaybar from Roush Racing. In January 2008, MWR realized the part wasn't theirs, called Roush and told them they would return it. MWR returned it.
Additionally, the swaybar was clearly labelled (possibly questioning the intention of taking the part) and may or may not have been sandblasted (Roush says it was, Michael does not know if it was).
So who is lying?
Michael claims that he does not know that someone from MWR apparently called the vendor to get replicate parts. But if someone actually did call the vendor, that hints to me even if they didn't intentionally take the part, wouldn't they have noticed that they had never seen the part before? And gee, do you think it's a great idea to call the part's vendor for more of the same part when you think it might not have been your part to begin with?
But let's say that no vendor was involved and just somehow Roush found out that MWR had the part. How did he do this? The only way I can think of is that MWR knew the part was Roush's and someone let it slip to Roush. If no one knew it was Roush's, Roush wouldn't have found out MWR had it. So someone knew. And if they knew, it didn't stop MWR apparently from sandblasting it.
I'd like to think it was just an innocent mix-up in the hustle and bustle of the garage and MWR took the part by an honest mistake. Even if it was, I'd be disappointed and concerned that MWR wouldn't know their own parts enough to realize later that the part wasn't theirs - and then do work on it and/or try to get more of it. I mean, new, interesting parts don't just magically pop up out of nowhere.
It's so disheartening. Although I do think in a lot of ways it's getting blown off as another anti-Toyota rant Roush loves to publicize it is yet more negative publicity for Michael and MWR. It also brings back that Roush vs. MWR conspiracy theory for Daytonagate last season (a theory I think is absolutely freaking ridiculous, by the way) and adds more fuel to the fire. Plus, I'm getting nervous about how Toyota is starting to feel about MWR. It's so irritating that Roush is saying "the Toyota team"...who cares if it's a Toyota team? Toyota didn't tell MWR to steal a part! Give me a break! It was MWR, okay? When Roush Racing cheated did people freak out over Ford? No! But anyway, I'm worried because from the beginning it's been MWR's actions giving Toyota a bad name. Daytonagate and now this. Moreover, I believe the contracts of both NAPA and UPS are up this season. They are two very loyal and wonderful sponsors but they've also been through a very bad 2007 season. How much more can they be expected to take?
It just seems like when everything looks clear something else puts a dark cloud over MWR.
For their sake I hope with all my heart that this blows over and isn't as serious as Roush is trying to make it sound. MWR needs to run well and leave all this scandal behind them. I know they're a good team. I truly believe they will be a great, respected organization one day. I just hope they can survive every punch that's thrown at them.
