NASCAR fines Johnny Sauter

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., March 10 (UPI) -- NASCAR driver Johnny Sauter was fined $10,000 and stripped of 25 points in the Busch series standings Wednesday.

The action came for his use of what NASCAR called, "inappropriate language," following the Sam's Town 300.

The use of profanity is prohibited under NASCAR rules, a fact stressed to drivers in meetings last month with NASCAR president Mike Helton. But Sauter ran afoul Saturday during a post-race radio interview in which he blasted Michael Waltrip for causing a late accident.

Sauter posted an apology on his website.

"There's absolutely no excuse for what I said. I truly regret the way I handled myself and it won't happen again," he said.

The deduction of points dropped Sauter from second to fourth in the Busch standings, 95 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.