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Newman's No. 12 Dodge was too high when NASCAR inspected it following its fourth-place run, an adjustment that could provide additional downforce to his car.
"What happened last week was a mistake and we're moving on from it and looking forward to this week," Newman said. "We hate to lose points, but we have a good team and we will be able to make them up."
The penalty dropped Newman from eighth to 10th in the Sprint Cup standings.
Also penalized were car owner Roger Penske, who was docked 25 points, and crew chief Roy McCauley, fined $25,000 and placed on probation until the end of the year.
There was no immediate word from Penske Racing South about appealing the penalty, but the team indicated it plans to move on.
"It is always our intention to follow NASCAR's rules, and we regret this mistake," said Michael Nelson, vice president of racing operations. "We look forward to getting back to the track this week and are focused on having a strong run at Phoenix."
The penalty is one of the smaller by NASCAR when it comes to infractions on the Car of Tomorrow. The sanctioning body has shown a zero tolerance toward alterations, often issuing 100-point deductions, $100,000 fines and lengthy crew chief suspensions.
However, Newman's penalty is in line with the one NASCAR handed Carl Edwards' team because his CoT was too low following inspection last fall in Dover, Del.
[Associated Press; By JENNA FRYER]
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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