NASCAR Issues Penalities For Rules Violations At California

[PressRoom-GFN]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 6, 2007) – One NEXTEL Cup Series crew chief has been fined and suspended, while another one has been fined by NASCAR for rules violations during the recent race weekend at California Speedway, NASCAR officials announced Thursday.

Joe Lax, crew chief for Jeremy Mayfield, was fined $25,000, suspended from NASCAR competition until Sept. 19, and placed on probation until Dec. 31 for using equipment not conforming to NASCAR rules, adding car weight, and improperly attaching weight. NASCAR officials said weight was installed inside a water container. The infractions, which were discovered prior to qualifying, also resulted in a 25-point deduction for Mayfield and for car owner Gail Davis.

Steve Lane, crew chief for David Stremme, was fined $2,500 because the team's scorer, Joel Charpentier, left the scoring area before Sunday's race ended at the 2-mile California track. Under NASCAR rules, a crew chief is responsible for the actions of team members.
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