News Director 
Column by: DYLAN TERRY / RPW – WATERTOWN, NY – This past week, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series issued one of the most significant set of penalties in recent memory to one of their full-time teams.
James McFadden and the Roth Motorsports team allegedly failed a tire test following the completion of the April 14th feature at Federated Auto Parts I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO.
The tire sample taken in the test was found to have chemically altering substances on it, which does not match nor conform to the benchmarks set by Hoosier Tire Company.
Because of the infraction, McFadden and the #83 team were disqualified from that event, and fined $8,200 ($6,000 in winnings, $2,000 fine, $200 for the tire analysis).
The downward spiral did not stop there. It was also announced that the team lost 500 drivers and owners points in the season standings, and McFadden, the car owner, and crew would all be suspended for four World of Outlaws events on top of that.
At the end of the announcement, it was stated that Roth decided to appeal the ruling. Because of the appeal, the penalties will not be enforced until an official decision has been confirmed.
So what does all of this mean for the future of Roth Motorsports and the #83 car if the penalties are indeed upheld?
It’s very hard to imagine that the team would stay on the Outlaw tour as a full-time platinum member. Just with the loss of the initial 500 points, they would plummet to 17th in the points, behind Noah Gass, and just ahead of Bill Rose.
Currently, McFadden sits in seventh in the season standings. The difference between 7th and 17th position in the final point fund for the World of Outlaws would be roughly around a total loss of $80,500 for the driver and team according to the point fund listed on the Outlaws website.
These calculations aren’t even factoring in the four events that McFadden and the team would have to miss either, which would be another significant amount of points and money lost to their competition.
The most likely scenario is that the team would run a “true outlaw” schedule, chasing big money races throughout the remainder of the season. This would allow them the freedom to run all of the remaining High-Limit Series races, all of the crown jewels, as well as other events such as The Million, Pennsylvania and Ohio Speedweek, the Tuscarora 50, and the Super Dirt Cup with NARC at Skagit Speedway.
Another possibility is that the Roth #83 runs a weekly schedule at a single track. Most notably, Knoxville Raceway has yet to start their season due to their battle with Mother Nature. If Roth decides to run Knoxville weekly, it could give them an advantage going into August’s Knoxville Nationals week, being able to run the new tire on a weekly basis on a variety of different track conditions.
Keep in mind, all of this is assuming that Roth remains on the road. The last time the team was caught allegedly using an illegal chassis in 2021, they severed ties with the majority of the team and staff. Then, driver Aaron Reutzel, as well as the entire crew were all let go by the team just weeks after the announcement.
Former NASCAR Cup Series standout Kasey Kahne filled in down the stretch, concluding the Outlaw tour over the final few months of the season in the #83.
Could a substitute driver/crew be named so that the team remains on the road with the Outlaws down the stretch? This is yet another option on of the ever growing list of scenarios.
Regardless of the final ruling and whatever the team decides to do, this looks like another blemish on the reputation of the Roth Motorsports team in the world of Sprint Car racing and that might continue to be that way for the foreseeable future.
