NASCAR penalizes Kyle Busch, Sauter
NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers Kyle Busch and Johnny Sauter were each docked 25 championship points after their cars failed post-race inspection at New Hampshire International Speedway.
The fronts of both cars were too close to the ground when measured by officials after the Lennox Tools 400 on Sunday, NASCAR said. Alan Gustafson, Kyle Busch's crew chief, and Robert Barker, who heads Sauter's team, were each fined $25,000 and placed on probation until Sept. 19.
The penalties drop Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, one position to 10th in the Nextel Cup standings behind Martin Truex Jr. with 2,015 points. Sauter, driver of the No. 70 Chevrolet owned by Haas CNC Racing, remains 34th with 1,303 points.
NASCAR has vowed to crack down on cheating in races using its Car of Tomorrow, a new racer that is being phased in this season to improve safety and reduce the need to build specific cars for each track. Last week, Kyle Busch's teammates, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, were each docked 100 points for car infractions at Infineon Raceway on June 22.
Rick Hendrick, who fields Kyle Busch's car, and Joe Custer, listed as Sauter's owner, both lost 25 car-owner points, NASCAR said.
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