DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 29 (UPI) -- The crew chief of Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports has been suspended for rules infractions, NASCAR said Wednesday.
Crew chief Chad Knaus and car chief Ron Malec were suspended for six Sprint Cup Series races. Knaus was also slapped with a $100,000 fine.
Meanwhile, Johnson and car owner Jeff Gordon were penalized with the loss of 25 driver and owner points, the sanctioning body said.
The moves were made for rules infractions noted during the Feb. 17 opening-day inspection for the Daytona 500.
Knaus and Malec will be in the pit during Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway while the case is on appeal, team owner Rick Hendrick said in a statement.
"Our organization respects NASCAR and the way the sanctioning body governs our sport," he said. "In this case, though, the system broke down, and we will voice our concerns through the appeal process."
