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CUP: DEI Bracing for Truex Penalty
Written by: SceneDaily.com
SceneDaily.com   
07/07/2008 - 05:35 PM
Daytona Beach, Fla.
 
Crew members push the backup car of Martin Truex Jr. through inspection during practice for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. (Jason Smith/Getty Images Photo) ยป More Photos

Dale Earnhardt Inc. officials are bracing for their penalty for presenting a car for Martin Truex Jr. that did not meet the roofline template during opening-day inspection last Thursday at Daytona International Speedway.

Truex's penalty is expected to be announced Tuesday.

Truex is 14th in the driver standings, just 88 points out of 12th, with eight races remaining until the 12-driver field is set for the Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup to determine the 2008 champion.

If NASCAR follows its recent penalty trend for template violations, it would dock Truex Jr. 100 or 150 points and suspend at least the crew chief, as well as possibly the car chief for six weeks.

NASCAR issued its harshest penalties when it docked the Haas CNC Racing teams 150 points and suspended both the crew chief and car chief when it confiscated the organization’s cars for an infraction at Charlotte.

When asked if the DEI infraction was in the same category as that of Haas CNC Racing, however, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said, “I wouldn’t say that.”

“The 66 and the 70 [of Haas CNC] had devices on
the car that gave the team the ability to change the car [after inspection],” Darby said. “The 1 car [of DEI] is much simpler than that. It was just built to where it didn’t fit the templates.”

DEI Vice President John Story said prior to the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday that he did not consider Truex Jr.’s chance of making the Chase to be over.

“It certainly made it a lot harder, that’s for sure,” Story said of the NASCAR action. “I’m not ready to say it’s an impossible situation, but it made it harder. That’s something that we really, really, really want for Martin and that whole 1 team.”

Story said there is a plan in place if crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and/or car chief Gary Putnam get suspended. Dave Charpentier and Kevin Buskirk, both of whom have Cup crew chief experience, work at DEI. Mike Greci, who has served as a DEI crew chief in the Nationwide Series, also could fill the role.


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