CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR showed again it won't tolerate any modifications to its Car of Tomorrow by levying stiff penalties against Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and their crew chiefs Tuesday.
Gordon, the four-time series champion, and Johnson, the defending Nextel Cup champion, were each docked 100 points. Crew chiefs Chad Knaus and Steve Letarte were both fined $100,000 and suspended for six races because their cars failed an initial inspection at Infineon Raceway.
The penalties are a blow to Hendrick Motorsports, which has 10 wins this season -- four each from Gordon and Johnson. Team owner Rick Hendrick said he was disappointed and called the punishment "excessive."
"Right now, all of our options are being evaluated, including our personnel situation and a possible appeal to the National Stock Car Racing Commission," Hendrick said in a statement. "We'll take some time to decide on a direction and make an announcement regarding our plans for New Hampshire later in the week."
The two Hendrick cars failed inspection Friday when NASCAR found unapproved modifications to the fenders on the COT. NASCAR refused to let either driver on the track the entire day, and neither was allowed to qualify.
The fenders were fixed, the cars passed inspection Saturday and were allowed to race Sunday. Gordon, the Nextel Cup points leader, finished seventh. Johnson was 17th.
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| Jimmie Johnson falls from third to fifth in the Chase standings. (AP) |
"I don't necessarily say they bent the rules," Hendrick said. "I think they thought they were working inside an area in which they could."
But NASCAR insisted its rules are black and white, with no wiggle room, especially on the COT.
"In the old days there was a gray area, in the new days ... it's not a gray area," said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition. "We mean business with this car. There are similar things that could have been done to old cars and because the rules were so loose, we couldn't take a stand.
"But we owe it to the teams and the industry to uphold the standards of the Car of Tomorrow for the integrity of this sport."
NASCAR spent seven years designing the COT, and bills it as a bigger, boxier car that will improve safety, reduce team costs and improve competition. It was supposed to be phased into competition over the next three seasons, but now will be used exclusively next season.
The car made its debut in March, and NASCAR issued an official warning that any team caught tinkering with the car would be subjected to a loss of 100 points, a $100,000 fine and a six-race suspension.
