France promises stronger penalties for cheaters

NASCAR Chairman Brian France promised harsh penalties for cheating teams from qualifying Sunday. "It's our job is to escalate penalties – you're going to see it today," France said. "It will be undeniable that when you keep pushing the system and test the integrity of the sport, we will do whatever it takes.

"That doesn't mean you go out and get somebody in the electric chair. But that does mean that you step up the penalties to a level that makes it a true deterrent."

"What you don't want to do is jump to the electric chair," France said. "You want to escalate penalties. We are going to get tough with the competitors when they push the credibility of the sport.

"But you have to have the punishments fit the crime. We can't get just completely silly about it. We have to be tough, firm and clear, and we're going to do that today.

"You can't expect that 120 cars and the hundreds of thousands of rules that are out there, that some teams aren't either going to intentionally cross the line or inadvertently cross the line," France said. "It's our job to protect the integrity of the sport."