By Steve Waid
After earning their first NASCAR Winston Cup victory at Rockingham in the fall of 1989, Mark Martin and the Roush Racing team were very confident going into 1990.
Sure enough, Mark earned his second career victory in only the second race of the season at Richmond. But wait a moment ….
After the race NASCAR inspectors received a very open tip from team owner Richard Childress and quickly discovered that the Roush engine was equipped with an illegal spacer. Steve Hmiel knew nothing about it.
But he soon learned what the penalty would be. It included a fine and a loss of Winston Cup points.
It was early in a long season, so many figured the punishment would not be that costly. Oh, but it was … It was so very, very costly indeed.
For more than 32 years, Grand National/Winston Cup/NASCAR Scene writers and photographers were there to record NASCAR history as it was being made. Join hosts Rick Houston and Steve Waid each week on The Scene Vault Podcast Presented by Q Ware as they take a look back at the extraordinary people, places and events woven into the rich tapestry that is our sport.
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