South Boston tech director details Matt Waltz DQ, other 200 questions

In the name of transparency and openness, longtime South Boston Speedway operations and competition director Jeff Bomar detailed the process and procedures that led to Matt Waltz being disqualified from his second-place finish in the annual ‘200’ on Saturday night.

Waltz was found in violation of Rule 20F-10.6-G of the NASCAR Weekly Series Late Model Stock Rule Book, which reads ‘cambered rear axle housings or rear axle housing with toe will not be permitted. The method used to check camber and toe will be at the Track Officials discretion.’

That process and procedure was detailed at length by Bomar in a Wednesday email to Short Track Scene.

“I always try to be as open and transparent as possible,” Bomar wrote. “The jig we check rear ends on is a homemade fixture that Lightning David Saunders and myself built back in 2018 after the first rear end we caught wrong.

“It is a lighter built version of the rear end straightening jig that A&E used for years, the late Earl Rice and Alan Rice taught me how to straighten rear ends when I worked there around 2001. The jig does not move, the rear end is spun on the fixture and a tape measure is used to measure movement at the wheel. This jig has checked at least 75 rear ends since we built it and have only had issues with two being out of tolerance.”

After the race and his disqualification, Waltz issued a lengthy statement on Tuesday that expressed ‘disappointment and fury’ over his disqualification under the argument that his rear end had been checked and cleared by numerous tracks and sanctioning bodies; and that that the tolerance was unprecedentedly tight.

From the Waltz statement:

“South Boston Speedway’s homemade jig measures a diameter of 38″ which far exceeds the diameter of our racing tire (27″ inches). This diameter unrealistically amplifies the measurements and their 1/8″ of allowable tolerance on a 38″ diameter allows .188 degree of camber or toe. This is an unprecedented tight tolerance and an egregious decision for disqualification.”

Waltz also cited similar issues to the 71 car of Parker Eatmon and others, which were cleared by inspection as a result of car damage. Waltz made a claim that his could also be a result of contact and Bomar said the track reviewed footage of the race in good faith.

Bomar also addressed the alleged truck arm issue on the Chad Bryant Racing No. 77 and why that car also passed inspection. He answered all of Waltz’s concerns in an email that he also shared with Short Track Scene, which can be read below in italics:

Matt, I have reviewed the footage you refer to and see nothing that changes my mind on the rear end, there was slight contact on lap 1 on the left rear but there was never any contact to the right rear on either instance that you all asked me to review from our earlier conversation.  I cannot speak for other tracks or series on how they check camber and toe in the rear ends but at South Boston Speedway this has been the procedure we have used now for well over 5 years.  Many rules in the NASCAR Advance Auto Rulebook leave it up to the track’s discretion , this is one of those rules where the way it was checked at another facility or event may have been different from our inspection method and allowed per there tolerances.  We have allowed an 1/8” per side for the very reasons you bring up and unfortunately have had to disqualify any car over that for the last 5+ years.

On the 71 car you mention, on lap 0, turn 3 the left rear gets driven straight into from the 50 car, bending his wheel forcing them to have to make an approved left rear tire change.  Only the left rear had any movement in their rear end, and it was bent in a manner that was consistent with an accident.

The truck arm you speak of, I have reviewed the rule again as I said I would when we spoke this morning and I see no rule that says you cannot notch for clearance issues, it was notched on the top left side allowing clearance from the additional weight box on the car.

I have reviewed everything that you all asked for this morning like I told you I would, Brandon and myself reviewed the footage from the race.  I have attached the rules below from the rear ends and the truck arms and highlighted where I’m getting my information from to try to make fair and consistent calls.  These decisions are never taken lightly, and Track Management and myself always try to review everything from every possible angle before making a final decision.  After reviewing everything I do not see evidence to overturn the original call of a disqualification for this event.