Wells says one of the most comical parts of catching a team cheating is simply watching the actions of the crew members to see if they're acting nervous or suspicious. "Some of the different things they've tried to do before is simply amazing," Wells says. "One of the biggest giveaways is when the team members are walking around the car before it gets passed through inspection and they're acting real sly. You can sit and talk to the teams and drivers and they act like they're your best friends. They will look you right in the eye and lie to you in a heartbeat.
"There are teams and crew chiefs that are going to take the gray area of the rule book just as much as they can because it's a matter of how you interpret the rule as to whether it's legal or illegal. If you catch a team and they don't put up a big fuss or fight about the part or piece in question, that's really kind of humorous. A lot of people will get defensive and jump up and down and holler, but then again there are a lot of guys who will admit that you caught them and they'll go ahead and make their car like it's supposed to be. More often than not, though, that guy you just caught is already thinking about the next gray area he can find to work in."
As Adams says, "If you turn your back on some of these guys for just a second, they'll try to sneak something by on you."
Ways To Catch A Cheat* In some of NASCAR's top divisions like Winston Cup and Busch, inspectors use a variety of metal templates to make sure the body of the car is at the proper length and height.
* In the Hooter's ProCup Series,technical inspectors will use as many as 12 types of instruments to make sure the carburetor is legal.
* It may sound simple, but a good sense of smell by the inspectors can help to sniff out such things as altered fuel or tires that have been soaked with chemicals.
* All inspectors, whether at local short tracks or Winston Cup, are going to make sure the car weighs the proper amount before and after a race.
* In Winston Cup, Busch, and the Craftsman Truck Series, officials are always on the lookout for teams that try to get more than 22 gallons of fuel in their race cars.
* Officials says that one of the easiest ways to catch a team cheating is by simply watching how they are acting. If a team's sweating before going through inspection, there's probably something they don't want to be caught with.