NASCAR sanctions drivers

NASCAR took the unprecedented step of docking title points from four drivers Tuesday before the season-opening Daytona 500 in response to the second cheating scandal in as many years at its crown-jewel race.

Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne each lost 50 points and their crew chiefs were suspended for Sunday’s 500 and three additional races. Scott Riggs and Elliott Sadler lost 25 points each and their crew chiefs were suspended for two races.

It was the first time NASCAR subtracted drivers’ championship points before the season started. Kenseth drives for Roush Racing, and Kahne, Riggs and Sadler are teammates at Evernham Motorsports.

The 50-point loss could be crucial later in the season for the penalized drivers. For instance, Kenseth, the 2003 Cup champion who drives the No. 17 Ford, finished second behind Johnson last year by only 56 points.

“It’s obvious that we’ve ramped up our penalties and we’re going to get people’s attention and slow this down,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition and a former crew chief.

“There’s a lot of pressure to perform here; it is the Daytona 500,” he said. “These guys are going to do everything they can, take everything right to the edge.”

The penalized teams were accused of tweaking the aerodynamic properties of their cars Sunday for the first round of qualifying, when the two front-row spots for the 500 were determined.

Aerodynamics are paramount at the 2.5-mile, high-banked Daytona International Speedway, where small changes in how a car moves through the air can make a big difference in how fast it qualifies.

In addition, Daytona is one of two tracks where NASCAR mandates the use of carburetor restrictor plates to keep speeds in check. But they also keep the field closely bunched, adding pressure on teams to find the slightest amount of extra speed.

NASCAR stopped short of banishing the drivers or their cars from any races, which some observers have suggested is the only penalty severe enough to curb the cheating.

A year ago, for instance, Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, drew a four-race suspension after officials found illegal modifications to Johnson’s Chevrolet. Yet, with a back-up crew chief, Johnson won the Daytona 500 for Hendrick Motorsports on his way to last year’s Nextel Cup championship.

But NASCAR Chairman Brian France said the penalties Tuesday would make a difference.

“When you keep pushing the system and test the integrity of the sport, we will do whatever it takes,” France said. “That doesn’t mean you go out and get somebody in the electric chair, but it does mean you step up the penalties to a level that makes it a true deterrent.”

Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Dodge, also was among the top 10 drivers in points who competed in NASCAR’s Chase for the Cup late last season. He finished eighth and won a series-high six races during the season.

Kahne’s crew chief, Kenny Francis, was suspended for four races and fined $50,000. Rodney Childers, crew chief for Riggs, and Josh Brown, crew chief for Sadler, were suspended for two races and fined $25,000.

Team owner Ray Evernham said in a statement, “We regret that this situation has occurred,” adding, “We did not intend to infringe on the rules and will research this matter to ensure it does not occur again.”

Robbie Reiser, crew chief for Kenseth, also drew a four-race suspension and a $50,000 fine.

All four crew chiefs could appeal and, if their petitions couldn’t be heard before Sunday, they could work the Daytona 500.

But neither Evernham nor Jack Roush, head of Roush Racing, said he planned to appeal. They were making arrangements for substitute crew chiefs.

The speedway was closed Tuesday and none of the four drivers was available for comment. But they were expected to respond today as practice resumes for Thursday’s twin 150-mile qualifying heats, when the rest of the 43-car field for the Daytona 500 is determined.

NASCAR already had disallowed Sunday’s qualifying speeds for Kenseth and Kahne because their violations were found after qualifying. They will start at the rear in Thursday’s heats.

Those violations involved air ducts in the cars’ rear-wheel wells that were supposed to be closed or covered, and were not, giving the cars a potential aerodynamic edge, NASCAR said.

On the Riggs and Sadler cars, officials found that holes had been drilled into the fasteners that hold the spoiler on the rear-deck lid, which helped air escape from the trunk area and likewise provided an aerodynamic boost, officials said.

But those violations were found in pre-qualifying inspections and ordered fixed before Riggs and Sadler qualified, so their times were allowed to stand.

NASCAR also is still investigating the Toyota Camry entered by Michael Waltrip, who heads one of the new Toyota Cup teams.

The car failed a pre-qualifying inspection when an unspecified substance was found in the engine manifold, but no action has been taken against Waltrip or his team.

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james.peltz@latimes.com

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Begin text of infobox

Busted

Sanctions handed down by NASCAR on Tuesday:

*--* PENALIZED 50 POINTS

*--*

Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth

*--* PENALIZED 25 POINTS

*--*

Scott Riggs and Elliott Sadler

*--* SUSPENDED

*--*

* Four races: Crew chiefs Kenny Francis (Kahne) and Robbie Reiser (Kenseth).

* Two races: Crew chiefs Rodney Childers (Riggs) and Josh Brown (Sadler).

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Los Angeles Times