NASCAR issues fines from Daytona

[Homercleas1]

NASCAR issues $102,000 in fines
Sports Ticker
2/23/2005

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (Ticker) -- NASCAR announced Wednesday that 15 penalties, including 11 fines totaling $102,000, have been issued to Nextel Cup Series teams, resulting from rule violations during the Budweiser Shootout and Daytona 500 race weeks.


Two of those penalties were issued to Robby Gordon Motorsports, including the most severe fine of $50,000 for crew chief Bob Temple because of an unapproved intake manifold on the No. 7 Chevrolet discovered during the initial Daytona 500 inspection process on February 11.

Gordon's car owner Jim Smith was penalized 25 car owner championship points. The No. 7 was in violation of Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and Section 12-4-Q (car, car components or equipment) that do not conform to NASCAR rules.

Gordon has no driver championship points because the No. 7 failed to make the Daytona 500 field. Smith, however, earned 31 points at Daytona. According to the Nextel Cup Series rule book, a car owner receives points based on qualifying results, if their car fails to actually qualify for a starting field.

Four penalties were issued to Wood Brothers Racing because of an unapproved spoiler adjustment on the No. 21 Ford after pre-race inspection for the Gatorade Duel at Daytona on February 17. Ricky Rudd was penalized 25 driver points; Glen Wood was penalized 25 owner points and crew chief Michael McSwain was fined $25,000.

Also, crew Marc Smith was suspended from NASCAR competition until March 31.

Pete Rondeau, crew chief on the No. 8 Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., was fined $10,000 for an unapproved third gear transmission ratio. The violation was discovered during the initial inspection for the Budweiser Shootout on February 10.

David Charpentier, crew chief for the No. 14 Ford driven by John Andretti, was fined $10,000 because of improper attached weight, a violation of 12-4-A and 12-4-W, determined during pre-race inspection for the Daytona 500 on February 20.

Six other crew chiefs - Harold Holly, Jimmy Elledge, Jim Penland, Robert Leslie, Beau Tiffany and Stanton Hover Jr. - were each fined $1,000 for inspection violations.