NASCAR expands rear height tolerances

NASCAR will give teams a half-inch tolerance instead of a quarter-inch on the minimum height requirement of the rear of the car during post-race inspection at car of tomorrow races, Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby told reporters Thursday.

Greg Biffle was outside the quarter-inch tolerance after a fifth-place finish at Bristol, but NASCAR won't penalize him because of the lack of benefit to the car to be that low.

Darby also said that although it was procedural measurement with the car of tomorrow, it was never specified in the rulebook. He says NASCAR will continue to explore the minimum height of the rear of the car before making a steadfast rule.

Although NASCAR will eventually have a rule in place, "scientifically it doesn't make sense why you would" have a car that low, Darby said. He added that the car of race-winner Kyle Busch "was a breath away of being outside the original tolerance. We felt like we needed to adjust it."

Darby also said that the minimum right-side weight was changed from 1,650 pounds to 1,700 pounds. Scenedaily.com