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NASCAR eases up in-race penalties
Associated Press
Updated: March 22, 2005, 10:56 PM EST
HAMPTON, Ga. - While cracking down on teams that skirt the rules, NASCAR has decided to lighten up the penalties for some pit road violations.
Beginning with Sunday's Golden Corral 500, eight infractions that used to bring a stop-and-go penalty will now be addressed with a pass through the pits. They include a crew member jumping over the wall too soon, too many crewmen in the pit service area, using more than two air wrenches during a stop, and tossing the fuel or catch cans.
Other violations now covered by a pass-through penalty are: crew members returning from the equipment side of the wall, illegal use of extension poles, failing to carry the front air wrench to the pit wall side, and noncompliant refueling.
A stop-and-go requires a car to return to its pit box for 15 seconds, while the lesser penalty is merely going back through pit road at the required speed limit.
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