150 Point Fine Eliminates Truex From Chase

Martin Truex has been eliminated from the chase for the championship now that NASCAR has fined him 150 points for problems with his car at Daytona. In case you missed it, Truex had his primary car confiscated by NASCAR when it failed it’s first inspection after being unloaded. The confiscation will cost DEI somewhere between $125K and $150K to replace the car.

With only 8 races to go before the chase starts, Truex has dropped from 14th place in the standings, 88 points out of 12th, to 18th place, 238 points out of 12th. With the quality of equipment Truex has been getting lately, it would take a miracle for him to make the chase.

The last few months for Truex reminds me of Dale Jr’s last year with DEI. While everyone else seemed to have great cars, Jr had trouble every week. This year, the same thing is happening with Truex, who still hasn’t signed an extension with DEI. Don’t be surprised to see him moving on to greener pastures.

On an unrelated note, Teresa Earnhardt has hired Bear, Stearns to find an investor to purchase part of, or all of DEI. Mark Martin is leaving, Martin Truex is leaving, anybody interested in buying a museum?