Dwyergate scandal

The Dwyergate scandal was a scandal that broke after the completion of the 2010 120 Laps of Dwyer ARLA Elite Series endurance race. It was centered around the driver of the No. 070 Duncan, Hawk Slider.

Background

 * ''Main article: 2010 120 Laps of Dwyer

ARLA announced that it would return to the Dwyer Speedpark for the 2010 season after a successful event there in 2009. As an added wrinkle, the series made the race an endurance race and required teams to hire relief drivers for the event.

Hawk Slider had hired on John Smith to relieve him in the race. Per the rules, Smith would have to take over the car on the third round of pit stops.

The Lap 51 accident
Just after the start of Lap 51, Meghan Gallagher and Smith got into an accident and both cars rode up Goliath and barreled into the guard rail. Smith's car helicoptered back down Goliath, while Gallagher's car went into several barrel rolls. Both drivers were rushed to the hospital after the incident.

After the race it was announced that Gallagher had broken her left leg in two places, and also had broken her right arm near the elbow. She also briefly lost consciousness.

Smith's injuries would prove to be fatal.

Slider left the hospital immediately after reports of Smith's death and, rather uncommon for him, refused to talk to any reporters or answer calls that afternoon. Smith's death also shocked many people in the racing world, most notably Cyril Volpi, who immediately called for inspections on the 070 to see whether it was really safe for racing or not.

Or at least, that's how it appeared.

The hoax exposed
Three days after the completion of the Dwyer race, ARLA officials were tipped off by someone describing themselves as Smith's "neighbor" that Smith was, in fact, alive and well and working in his yard. An investigation showed that nobody named "John Smith" had been admitted to St. Paul Methodist Hospital, where the injured drivers were taken.

The investigation determined that Slider himself was in fact John Smith, and that Slider had used Smith's name in order to run the entire event. News reports also detailed the specifics of the hoax: that Slider did indeed climb out of the car when he was supposed to, but ducked out of view of everyone, changed helmets, and got back in the car. Then when safety crews arrived at the scene of the accident, Slider paid them off to carry him off on a stretcher.

Driver reaction to the hoax

 * For the full text of the Smith interview, please see Smith interview.

Reaction from Slider's fellow drivers was harsh, to say the least. Driver Jackson Burwell, one of the many drivers to offer post-race condolences after the "passing" of John Smith, said of the incident, "What we previously looked at as one of the most grievous weekends in the history of ARLA turned out to be nothing more than the exposure of one of the most pathetic pieces of s— the series has ever witnessed."

Shane Lake added, "Whoever thinks it's cute to pull a death hoax is an absolute moron. That jabroni has some serious [expletive deleted] nerve to pull some BS like that."

Reporters also caught up with the real John Smith, who said in an interview, "Had I known that this was the way the event would play out I never would have agreed to drive for Hawk Slider."

Asked why he participated in the hoax, Smith said, "I had little to no choice. Mr. Slider offered me a large amount of money to run and I've been struggling to make ends meet with the struggling economy. It was quick, easy cash that I needed fast. I was given $4,500 and a plane ticket home. Again, I really had no options so I went home as instructed."

ARLA reaction
Reaction from ARLA officials was equally severe: Slider's competitor's permit was pulled, effectively barring him from the series. Almost immediately, Slider retained counsel and filed suit against the governing body to force his reinstatement. "Never fear, Hawk Slider will return, bigger, faster, and stronger than before," Slider said in a statement after the announcement.

Resolution
Slider's "lifetime ban" was lifted prior to the race at Decatur Raceway, where ARLA and Slider announced settlement of the suit. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, though speculation about TV ratings was rampant. "As the case went on, we realized the penalty we issued to Slider was too stiff," ARLA CEO Jen Walker said in comments prior to the Decatur race. "So, we decided to put an end to this mess, and we offer Slider a second chance, and our sincerest apologies."

Slider promptly entered the Decatur event and finished ninth in the qualifying race. However, officials impounded his car after tech inspection for being close to the minimum height tolerances, forcing Slider into his backup car.

At the Rockford 200, the real John Smith was hired by Casey Lester to drive a second car for his team, but failed to qualify.

2011: Dwyergate II?
The entry list for the 2011 150 Laps of Dwyer saw Slider once again entered in the event, with Smith once again listed as the reserve driver. This time, ARLA officials said extra officials would be on hand in Slider's pit area to make sure Slider actually turned the car over to his reserve driver should he make the race. Shortly before race weekend, however, it was reported that Smith had been fired by Slider over his apparent persistence with ARLA officials to make sure that Slider would get out of the car. At the track, Slider's Thunder Trucks driver, Sean McNeil, would have his name above the passenger window of the 070 car instead.

Slider did not make it out of pre-qualifying for the event, finishing 22nd in the third pre-qualifying race. There would be no repeat of the Dwyergate scandal.