They sure don't make those Cinderella slippers like they used to. It only took three days for Clint Bowyer's to break, his 12th-seed success quickly shattered by failing post-race inspection through a penalty that sent shards of glass through a Richard Childress Racing team now stabbed in the heart. A shocking revelation, Bowyer's No. 33 Chevy failed to meet their body templates actually didn't come at the track; it took a second, teardown inspection at the R&D Center to find the problem. But the last-minute NASCAR discovery pulled a nasty punch, one violation of Rule 20.3 carrying with it the sting of 150 driver points, 150 owner points, and two six-week suspensions (crew chief Shawn Wilson and car chief Chad Haney, respectively) that effectively kill off Bowyer's upset title bid before it begins. For the kicker, NASCAR pulled out a $150,000 fine for Wilson, the largest one we've seen since Carl Long's $200,000 whopper for an oversized engine last May. This type of gargantuan penalty just three days into the Chase has some far-reaching effects. Let's take a detailed look at what happened, who it affects, and how the playoffs are transformed from here on out ...
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09-23-10, 06:18 AM
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