DOVER, Del. -- Scott Riggs believes NASCAR blew the call.
Riggs said the penalties levied against Haas-CNC Motorsports for alterations to its new car were too steep. The penalties crippled Riggs' No. 66 Chevrolet in the points standings and put him in serious danger of falling outside the top 35 and losing his guaranteed spot in the field.
Riggs said the severe penalties -- which included suspensions, fines and docked points -- simply "don't fit the crime."
"If it was something we had done one time and we're trying to get by with something and it was affecting the car, I'd say yeah, we were doing something wrong," Riggs said on Saturday. "But it was something that had been on the car all year that NASCAR had seen. All of a sudden, somebody else from another team saw it, didn't like it. And since the other team didn't like it, NASCAR decided it didn't like it."
Crew chiefs Robert "Bootie" Barker and Dave Skog and car chiefs Derick Jennings and Thomas Harris started suspensions for tampering with their Chevrolets' rear wings last weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The team personnel were suspended for six weeks for violating rules with the wing mounting locations. The crew chiefs also were fined $100,000, while the drivers and teams were penalized 150 points.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said there could be a slim possibility that the infractions had been missed in previous inspections, but that, "it doesn't mean it was right."
"Once we found it, we reacted swiftly and severely," he said.
Riggs starts 28th on Sunday at Dover International Speedway while Jason Leffler failed to qualify the No. 70 car. The penalties dropped Riggs from 26th to 35th in the points standings.
The points deduction is the second largest in NASCAR history.
"It just puts a strain on everyone," Riggs said. "We're trying to build a stronger organization and we're already struggling as it is. For this to come around hurts us even more."
What angers Riggs is that another team broke an unwritten code and ratted out Haas-CNC Motorsports' transgressions. It's not uncommon for crew chiefs to work in the rulebook's gray area to give their cars any type of advantage. Some Sprint Cup drivers agreed with Riggs that there was no place for tattling in the garage.
"Nobody likes a rat, even if the guy is cheating. A rat is no good," said Dale Earnhardt Jr. "You want NASCAR to find it. That's how it needs to happen."
Veteran driver Mark Martin said the old code of the garage was, if one team was getting away with bending the rules, then his team should try and bend them, too.
"You kind of felt like a man back then," Martin said. "You didn't tell on anybody."
Riggs didn't think the team that turned in his crew was in the back of the pack like where he stands.
"There's a whole different respect in the racing ethics that go on in the top 15 than it does back here in the back of the points," Riggs said.
Hall of Famer
Bill Elliott was set for induction into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Elliott, who starts 24th in the No. 21 Ford on Sunday, planned to fly to Atlanta on Saturday after Cup practice and then return to Dover after the ceremony. The former Cup champion joins a hall class that includes Steve Bartkowski, Edwin Moses and John Schuerholz.
"By this time, I thought I'd be a little bit more retired, but I still enjoy driving," Elliott said on Saturday. "I still enjoy being around this stuff, so it's an honor to included as part of this Hall of Fame."
Elliott has 44 career victories and 55 poles in a Cup career that started in 1976.
Petty honored
Kyle Petty skipped Dover this weekend because he was attending his daughter's wedding. That kind of commitment is one reason why Petty was honored by the National Father's Day Council and the American Diabetes Association as a Father of the Year. He will receive the award on June 6.
Petty is among several recipients being recognized for their ability to balance their personal lives and serve as a role model for their children while also making a positive difference in their community.
Petty has a daughter, Montgomery Lee, and a son, Austin. His oldest son, Adam, was killed in an on-track accident in 2000.
Petty and his wife Pattie started the Victory Junction Gang Camp in 2004 in Adam's memory. The camp offers children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses the opportunity to have a life-changing camping experience that takes place in a safe and medically sound environment.
"Being a good dad isn't just about how you are with your kids, it's about teaching your kids how to be good people," Petty said. "I hope that my passion for the camp will help my kids understand the importance of helping others."
Substitute driver
