NASCAR has docked Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Martin Truex Jr. 150 points and suspended crew chief Kevin Manion and car chief Gary Putnam for six races apiece for presenting a car that did not meet NASCAR’s roof template for inspection last week at Daytona International Speedway.
The point penalty may be a crushing blow to Truex’s hopes of making the Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup for a second consecutive year. Before the penalty, Truex was 14th in the standings, 86 points out of 12th place with eight races remaining until the Chase field is set. Now he is 18th in the standings – falling below David Ragan, Brian Vickers, Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch – and 231 points out of the 12th and final spot in the field to determine the 2008 Cup champion.
The team also was docked 150 owner points, and Manion was fined $100,000. NASCAR confiscated the car from the team at the track.
DEI can appeal the penalty, which could allow Manion and Putnam to work this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. If they begin serving their six-race suspension this weekend, they won’t return until the Aug. 29-31 race weekend at Auto Club Speedway in California.
- Report: Stewart, Newman and Truex to form powerhouse team
- Truex, Jr ready to race with broken toe
- NASCAR penalizes Gordon heavily for nose infraction-UPDATE
- NASCAR penalizes Busch crew chief
- Truex starts contract discussions with DEI
well, that was no surprise was it. when they gave the car back to them and they brought it back again there was no way it was going to fit the spider. it was the only one from there stable that didn’t fit. they said that there template was different from NASCARs. what a laugh DEI uses the same template for all there cars and if that was the case the backup car was perfect . they tried to gain a advantage and lost and poor Martin does not get in the chase. i hope he quits.
Figured that would be the penalty. Hopefully this is a big nail in the coffin of the DEI/Truex re-signing!!! I really hope for his sake that he gets away from that herd of losers over at DEI and goes to a respectable team.
Howie I agree and poor Martin gets the shaft. I hope he leaves and heads to RCR where he would fit in great with Kevin,Jeff and Clint. Take Bass Pro with him. I was hoping Smoke would tap him for his team and continue to drive for JGR but I don’t think that will happen per our earlier conversations about Chevy pressuring him to return.