NASCAR officials will likely lower the boom on #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #07-Casey Mears for late-race and post-race antics here Saturday night at Phoenix. The two tangled several times late, bringing out the final caution that almost cost Mark Martin the win. Mears: “I didn’t mean to get together with Dale Jr. I think he was trying to save fuel and make it to the end without stopping, and I wheel-hopped the car getting into the corner and ended up making contact with him. I guess he was a little bent out of shape about it because he spun me out after the checkered flag.”(mikemulhern.net)(4-20-2009) UPDATE: NASCAR will NOT penalize Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears for their post-race incident at Phoenix.(Virginian Pilot)(4-21-2009) UPDATE 2: NASCAR announced that it has placed Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears on probation for the next six races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of their on-track incident last Saturday at the conclusion of the race at Phoenix International Raceway. Earnhardt, driver of the #88 team and Mears, driver of the #07 team, both violated Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing; hitting another competitors car after the race had concluded) of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. The probation takes effect beginning with this weekends event at Talladega Superspeedway.(NASCAR PR)(4-21-2009)
