Team owner Ray Evernham said he won’t appeal the four-race suspension to No. 9 team director Kenny Francis but is still mulling over whether to appeal the two-race suspensions of No. 19 team director Josh Browne and No. 10 team director Rodney Childers.

Francis, the crew chief for Kasey Kahne, had his car fail post-qualifying inspection Sunday after tape came off holes in the oil tank and the right rear wheelhouse, where a hose would run during race conditions. Francis also was fined $50,000, and the team and driver were docked 50 points. Kahne also will have to start his 150-mile qualifying race for Sunday’s Daytona 500 from the rear of the field.

Evernham said that one layer of tape had been slit but another had not. He said the tape was found inside the car. He said no extra holes were drilled in the car.

“Did Kenny design the tape to come off?” Evernham said. “I can’t stand here and tell you whether he did and didn’t.

“With that one, I will stand by NASCAR and say, ‘OK, I understand.’ … Kenny said he did not have the second layer of tape designed to come off. Obviously, there were razor-blade slits in the first layer, so I don’t even have to ask. It doesn’t come off the roll like that.”

Scene Daily

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