Whether a “side-draft” gone wrong with fellow competitor Ryan Ellis was intentional or not, it has cost Jake Crum big time.
CATCHFENCE.com has learned that Crum was notified by NASCAR this week that his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series license had been downgraded, making him ineligible to compete at tracks 1.5-mile and larger in length.
His current license status approves him to compete at tracks 1.25 mile or shorter; plus road courses.
“This is consistent with what we’ve done in the past for a situation like this,” said NASCAR spokesperson Kerry Tharp. “We have several options available – we can issue a penalty at that time, we can even suspend a driver. Jake is not a full-time driver, we don’t know when he will be racing again and he is not running for points – so this reaction on our part made the most sense and we believe will be the most effective at getting our point across to him.”
Tharp also stated that no timetable has been set to reinstate his eligibility.
Crum, who finished 21st in last Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 has made eight of his 14 total NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on tracks 1.5-mile and larger. His actions deemed detrimental will force the Statesville, North Carolina-based driver to climb the clearance ladder (approval status) once again.
The alleged retribution ignited from a Lap 29 incident where the two trucks spun in Turn 2. As the trucks screamed down the backstretch on Lap 86, Crum noted that he attempted to side-draft Ellis’ No. 28 Chevrolet Silverado. Instead, Crum’s truck right-reared the back of the No. 28 truck sending him hard into the outside wall, sliding down the backstretch before coming to rest before at the entrance of Turn 3.
Ellis, a native of Ashburn, Virginia climbed from his truck and waived off an initial ride by ambulance to wait for Crum to return to the scene of the incident, where utilizing his hands, he initiated a gesture voicing his displeasure. He was later evaluated and released from the infield care center.
Upon review of the accident, Crum’s initial explanation warrants a different picture, one that shows the move as an obvious definition of intentional and payback. Crum’s night ended with heavy front-end damage following a separate incident on Lap 114.
On the morning following the incident, the two tweeted each other publicly, before taking their chat private.
CATCHFENCE.com spoke to Ellis this week and while he was still baffled by the events that unfolded in the fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event of the season, his attention has now turned towards helping find his FDNY Racing team a way to repair their truck so they can compete at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in August.
“It still bothers me, but its water under the bridge now,” said Ellis. “We talked and cleared the air. I vented my frustration and told him my side. We both don’t come from a lot of money or multi-million dollar teams, so why he did what he did still baffles me, but it’s over now. “I’m concentrating on finding a way to help my team put the truck back together. This was our Pocono truck, but we estimated about twenty-six thousand dollars’ worth of damage, so hopefully we can find to come up with some money and return to the track. If not, we may not go.”
Ellis will drive for Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing at Dover (Del.) International Speedway next weekend in a part-time driver enhancement program, while Crum’s next event is to be determined.
Jake Crum was unavailable for comment.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
