Morgan-McClure Motorsports faces a hefty penalty this week after NASCAR officials confiscated the entire fuel cell assembly from the team’s #4 Pontiac prior to Saturday night’s Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The car was delayed in pre-race inspection and not did not get on the track until the race’s pace laps had already started. The fuel cell was expanded beyond regulation size, NASCAR officials said. The assembly was tagged and placed outside the NASCAR hauler during the race. Team officials declined to comment on the issue.( ThatsRacin.com )(7-6-2003) UPDATE: hearing Morgan McClure Motorsports will be penalized heavily today by NASCAR due to their fuel cell infraction last weekend at Daytona. Hearing a member of the Kodak crew inserted a air-pressure type device into the fuel cell of the #4 attempting to stretch it. The problem is he went too far and the fuel cell actually blew up like a balloon. Supposedly the fuel cell stretched so much that it bent the brackets which hold it in place. “It looked like the shape of a football,” according to one person who got a glimpse of the fuel cell. NASCAR especially frowned on this since 1) it was a blatant rules violations and 2) attempting to enlarge the fuel cell could have resulted in an explosion.(7-9-2003) UPDATE 2: The #4 Morgan-McClure Motorsports Pontiac was penalized for having an unapproved fuel cell container modification that was found by NASCAR officials during pre-race inspection. Crew chief Chris Carrier was fined $25,000, Stacy Compton forfeited 25 championship driver points and Larry McClure forfeited 25 championship owner points for the infraction. The team was in violation of Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and Section 12-4-Q (Any determination by NASCAR Officials that parts and/or equipment in the Event do not conform to NASCAR rules) of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rule Book.(NASCAR PR)(7-9-2003)
