Carl Edwards was penalized 25 NASCAR Nextel Cup championship points, and Roush Fenway Racing was penalized 25 Nextel Cup owner's points.
NASCAR handed out a 25 point penalty to Carl Edwards after his Office Depot Ford failed post-race inspection following his win on Sunday at Dover. Additionally, Jack Roush was penalized 25 Nextel Cup owner's points due to the infraction that was considered unpremeditated.
Edwards claimed that the car was low after his teammate Greg Biffle gave him a congratulatory bump. Following the penalty, Edwards falls from third in the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings to sixth, 28 points behind leader Jeff Gordon. Jimmie Johnson moves to third, Kyle Busch moves to fourth, and Clint Bowyer is now in the top five.
Many fans will question NASCAR's decision, as they typically do when any type of penalty is issued. However, the penalty assessed to Edwards and the 99 team coincided with penalties handed out to Kyle Busch and Johnny Sauter earlier in the season at New Hampshire.
Roush Fenway Racing will appeal the penalty.
Will this be the best Chase for the Championship yet?
It sure has the potential. Obviously Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Tony Stewart are the trio to beat, but Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer have began to peak at the perfect time. Bowyer was running in the top ten when his car received damage after Denny Hamlin spun Kyle Petty. Additionally, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr are running well, and Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton, and Matt Kenseth are three of the most consistent drivers in NASCAR, so they can creep back into the hunt. Though Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick seem to be long-shots, I wouldn't count them out championship race just yet.
Thus far, only 46 points separate leader Jeff Gordon and seventh place Martin Truex Jr.
