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Roush appeals Martin penalty

Leading NASCAR team Roush Racing have, as expected, appealed against a 25-point penalty that has hit driver Mark Martin's hopes of winning his first Winston Cup championship

Both driver and team were docked 25 points after NASCAR officials discovered an illegal front spring on Martin's car after a NASCAR race at Rockingham, North Carolina. The penalty leaves Martin trailing championship leader Tony Stewart by 89 points going into the final race of the season at Homestead, Florida.

Roush accepts that the spring in question was illegal, but claims that it was a standard issue part from an approved NASCAR parts manufacturer that offered no performance advantage. The team cites the NASCAR rulebook which states penalties should be determined by the gravity of the violation.

Geoff Smith, president of Roush Racing, said: "We hope that these 25 points have no impact in this year's championship race, and do not enjoy having this issue present itself at this late date, yet we cannot passively submit to a punishment that is so excessive for the offense."

However, Smith acknowledged the team is not entirely confident of winning their appeal. "We also recognise that the list of successful appellants can fit on the back of a postage stamp, but we remain hopeful that after a sober review of each of the spring related penalty violations, the Commission will confirm NASCAR's written commitment to fairness by reinstating our points."

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