Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach’s #96 Hall of Fame Racing team will have to live with its Daytona penalty. The team’s appeal was denied Tuesday by a three-person review panel of the National Stock Car Racing Commission at the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, NC. HOF Racing’s #96 DLP Chevy team was penalized 25 championship points and crew chief Philippe Lopez was fined $25,000 on Feb. 21 for using a carburetor that didn’t meet regulations during qualifying for the Daytona 500. The team appealed the decision because the carburetor and engine came from Joe Gibbs Racing, which is supplying equipment to HOF. HOF officials didn’t have a comment after the verdict was announced. The points penalty is costly for HOF because the team needs to stay in the top 35 in the standings to have a guaranteed spot in the field at each Nextel Cup race. Terry Labonte, who is driving the car for the first five races, ranks 31st after the first two events. But the team would rank 26th if not for the points deduction. Labonte has a guaranteed spot as a past Nextel Cup champion, but he’s only driving the first five races. Tony Raines takes over in Martinsville on April 2. Aikman and Staubach did not attend the appeal hearing. J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR, went to the hearing with Bill Saunders, the managing general partner of HOF, and Lopez.(Dallas Morning News)(3-8-2006)
