Wow, part 3 (maybe)
Dustin just called to tell me that he and a bunch of other racin' scribes are hanging around Jeff Gordon's car, which won the second Duel (Tony Stewart won the first).
The problem: The car might be too low.
And as I was on the phone with Dustin, Steve Letarte, Gordon's crew chief, walked by and said, "I'm out." Whether that means NASCAR has finished inspecting the No. 24 or something else more dire ... we're waiting and seeing.
Update: False alarm. From AP:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Just when it looked like racing would snatch the spotlight from the cheaters at Daytona, Jeff Gordon's winning car failed inspection.Gordon, who won the second of Thursday's two 150-mile qualifying races, now will start the Daytona 500 in 42nd place.
NASCAR inspectors said his Chevrolet was almost an inch too low but blamed it on a part failure — not cheating. He was not stripped of the victory.
"We feel it was unintentional, and actually fairly unsafe," said NASCAR competition director Robin Pemberton. "We feel that it was a part failure, and we feel that it was unitentionally done. I think it would be marginal at best if there was any advantage.
"I am 100 percent sure this is unintentional."
NASCAR said it believed a mechanic made a mistake when the shocks were installed before the race.
...
Gordon learned his car had failed inspection while finishing his post-race news conference.
"Are you serious? That sucks. I'm mad about that right now," he said with a look of disbelief on his face.
Asked what the penalty should be, Gordon wasn't sure.
"I mean, what do I think it should be? It's whatever NASCAR decides for it to be. That's what it should be. I mean, I think I should start the Daytona 500 on Sunday, but where I start will be the other thing.
Turns out that will be next to last."We're not going to take a win away from anybody," Pemberton said. "And the penalty is the tail end."