Sprint Cup champion #2-Brad Keselowski, teammate #22-Joey Logano and their Penske Racing teams face potential penalties as NASCAR confiscated rear-end housing parts and pieces from their cars during prerace inspection Saturday at Texas Motor Speedways. The teams frantically worked to replace the pieces an hour prior to the scheduled start of the NRA 500. ‘Were taking (rear-end) housing and some other things. & Its a group of pieces that surrounds the rear suspension area’ NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said. ‘Its just something that is not in the spirit of the rules.” Pemberton said the sanctioning body would not eject the crew chiefs from the speedways and the drivers would keep their starting positions for the race Saturday night. Any penalties could be announced as early as Monday, although NASCAR typically waits until Tuesday to announce penalties. Possible penalties typically could include points penalties, fines and crew suspensions. ( Sporting News )(4-13-2013) UPDATE: Keselowski was able to keep his 16th-place starting spot. But both teams might be in for penalties due to parts that Robin Pemberton, NASCARs vice president for competition, told reporters were ‘not in the spirit of the rule.” ‘In pre-race inspection they felt like there was something that was a questionable item that they wanted replaced’ said Travis Geisler, Penskes director of competition. ‘We replaced all the parts in question. They have them all. Were working through the process here as it goes to get through inspection. Unfortunately a little tighter timeline here than wed like to be on, but I certainly understand their position and dont disagree with where they are.” The Penske vehicles were the last two vehicles in the garage area, and Keselowskis car successfully cleared the laser inspection platform as driver introductions wound down. Crewmen continued to scramble under the rear of the #22 car, which needed three passes to get though the laser platform, and passed the final stages of inspection just as the command to start engines was given. ‘Thats what these guys do for a living, so its not really a crisis’ Geisler said of the 11th-hour changeover. ‘We do those kinds of things during practice at times. Everybodys set up for it. Its obviously not expected at this point in the day, but thats racing. You have to expect the unexpected, and thats the way it goes.” Having gotten the cars on track in time for the start of the race, the Penske team now faces the prospect of penalties from NASCAR. ‘We always have a good, open dialogue with them. Theyll keep us in the loop about how they feel about whats going on there’ Geisler said. ‘Im sure well all discuss that in the upcoming days.”( NASCAR.com )
