Roush won't appeal Edwards' penalty for failing Las Vegas inspection

Associated Press

Last update: March 12, 2008 - 8:01 PM

CONCORD, N.C. — Roush Fenway Racing won't appeal the penalties imposed by NASCAR against Carl Edwards after his winning No. 99 car failed post-race inspection at Las Vegas.

Edwards was docked 100 points and stripped of the 10 bonus points he earned for the March 2 victory when NASCAR discovered the cover was off the oil tank in his Ford.

"We have conducted a thorough internal investigation and have found no evidence whatsoever that anyone intended for the bolt/nut fastener to fail to secure the lid for the entire race," team owner Jack Roush said Wednesday. "We have subsequently added protective measures to insure that the lid will remain fastened even if a failure of this type should again occur."

Roush Fenway president Geoff Smith said the team decided against an appeal because simple negligence was never sufficient grounds to overturn or reduce a penalty.

In addition to Edwards' penalty, crew chief Bob Osborne was fined $100,000 and suspended six weeks, and Jack Roush was docked 100 owner points.

Edwards would have carried those bonus points into the Chase for the championship, assuming he's one of the 12 drivers to qualify for NASCAR's 10-race sprint to the title.