CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carl Edwards used two consecutive victories to take the Sprint Cup points lead for the first time in his career.
On Wednesday, NASCAR said his Las Vegas victory was tainted and docked Edwards 100 points — knocking him out of first place — and stripped him of the 10 bonus points he earned for the win.
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.
The penalties stem from a post-race inspection Sunday when NASCAR discovered the cover was off the oil tank in the No. 99 Ford.
Meanwhile, Robby Gordon received a season-saving reprieve from a NASCAR appeals committee when the three-member panel restored the 100 points he had been docked for using an unapproved front bumper at Daytona.
Crew chief Frank Kerr’s six-week suspension was lifted, but his monetary fine was increased from $100,000 to $150,000.
