hearing that NASCAR will make an announcement soon fining the team $100,000, docking Waltrip 100 owner and driver points and suspending the crew chief, David Hyder, indefinitely. Waltrip will be able to run in the Gatorade Duel 150’s but will start from the rear of the field. UPDATE: the penalties to the #55 team: Bobby Kennedy [MWR VP of Competition] and David Hyder [crew chief] ejected from track [Daytona] and suspended indefinitely David Hyer fined $100,000 Michael Waltrip docked 100 driver points Owner Buffy Waltrip docked 100 owenrs points Michael Waltrip’s qualifying time disallowed from Sunday’s Daytona 500 qualfiying. The substance was NOT jet fuel. Waltrip will be allowed to run the Gatorade Duel’s in a back up car.(SPEED coverage of the NASCAR press conference). Scott Eggleston will be the interim crew chief for Waltrip. Eggleston won the Daytona 500 with Waltrip in 2001.(2-14-2007) NASCAR Release: NASCAR announced Wednesday that it has confiscated the primary car of the #55 Toyota team that competes in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series with driver Michael Waltrip, as a result of rule violations found during pre- and post-qualifying inspection for the Daytona 500. Crew chief Larry (David) Hyder and the team’s vice president of competition Bobby Kennedy have been ejected from this week’s events at Daytona International Speedway and suspended indefinitely. Hyder also has been fined $100,000. NASCAR also penalized Waltrip with the loss of 100 driver championship points. His qualifying time from pole day on Feb. 11 was disallowed. Team owner Elizabeth (Buffy) Waltrip has been penalized 100 car owner championship points. The actions taken by NASCAR resulted from violations of 12- 4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-Q (car, car parts components and/or equipment not conforming to NASCAR rules) and 20-15.2C (gasoline must not be blended with alcohols, ethers or other oxygenates). The confiscated car and the parts related to the violations will be transported to the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. for further inspection. NASCAR said the investigation of the confiscated car is ongoing.(NASCAR PR)(2-14-2007) UPDATE 2: A NASCAR source confirmed Hyder will be released.(ESPN.com)(2-14-2007)
