NASCAR nabs cheaters, seizes car
Truex's penalty is expected to be announced Tuesday.
Truex is 14th in the driver standings, just 88 points out of 12th, with eight races remaining until the 12-driver field is set for the Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup to determine the 2008 champion.
If NASCAR follows its recent penalty trend for template violations, it would dock Truex Jr. 100 or 150 points and suspend at least the crew chief, as well as possibly the car chief for six weeks.
NASCAR issued its harshest penalties when it docked the Haas CNC Racing teams 150 points and suspended both the crew chief and car chief when it confiscated the organization’s cars for an infraction at Charlotte.
When asked if the DEI infraction was in the same category as that of Haas CNC Racing, however, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said, “I wouldn’t say that."
“The 66 and the 70 [of Haas CNC] had devices on the car that gave the team the ability to change the car [after inspection]," Darby said. “The 1 car [of DEI] is much simpler than that. It was just built to where it didn’t fit the templates." Scenedaily.com
07/03/08 During opening day technical inspection Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR seized the #1 DEI Chevy driven by Martin Truex Jr. NASCAR said that during the tech inspection the car did not fit the roof templates. The team was allowed to try again and when they failed again the car was seized and will be taken to NASCAR’s R&D center for further evaluation. The team was told to bring their back up car out for inspection. Cup Scene Online