Associated Press

Kyle Busch (left) and Clint Bowyer made the biggest jump in the Chase points standings last week at New Hampshire.

DODGE DEALERS 400

Sunday | 1 p.m., WSET

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CAUGHT RED-HANDED

Nextel Cup drivers who have lost points to penalties this season:

• DRIVER | SITE | PTS. LOST | INFRACTION
• Jimmie Johnson | Infineon | 100 | Illegal fenders
• Jeff Gordon | Infineon | 100 | Illegal fenders
• Kurt Busch | Dover I | 100 | Reckless driving
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Darlington | 100 | Illegal mounting brackets on rear wing
• Michael Waltrip | Daytona I | 100 | Illegal fuel additive
• Kasey Kahne | Daytona I | 50 | Unapproved aerodynamic modification
• Matt Kenseth | Daytona I | 50 | Unapproved aerodynamic modification
• Elliott Sadler | Daytona I |25 | Unapproved aerodynamic modification
• Scott Riggs | Daytona I | 25 | Unapproved aerodynamic modification
• Kyle Busch | N. Hamp. I | 25 | Too low in post-race inspection
• Johnny Sauter | N. Hamp. I | 25 | Too low in post-race inspection
• Robby Gordon | Daytona II | 25 | Unapproved camera shell
• Tony Stewart | Indianapolis | 25 | Inappropriate language in TV interview
• Jeremy Mayfield | California II | 25 | Illegal added car weight

DOVER, Del. -- Tony Stewart's car failed inspection after he finished third last weekend at New Hampshire, but series officials didn't penalize the title contender.

They determined that his car's left front fender was too low because of on-track contact, not some sort of mechanical hanky-panky. Thus, no penalty.

NASCAR showed restraint -- just as it has in other similar cases -- but how series officials view things these final nine weeks could affect the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Series officials warned before the season that penalties would be stiff, and they delivered.

Half the 12 title contenders lost points because of violations that ranged from improper mounting brackets on the rear wing to profanity in a live TV interview.

With competitors saying this is the best Chase field, losing any points for a violation could all but end a team's championship hopes.

That puts a greater responsibility on NASCAR's officiating.

"We hold NASCAR's ability to police the sport in very high regard from an expectation standpoint," Jeff Burton said Friday at Dover International Speedway, site of Sunday's Dodge Dealers 400.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. knows how debilitating a penalty during the Chase can be.

As he celebrated his Talladega victory in 2004 -- which also put him in the points lead -- Earnhardt uttered a profanity during the live national TV interview. NASCAR had penalized other drivers for similar occurrences during the season, so this was no judgment call.

NASCAR docked Earnhardt 25 points. That dropped him out of the points lead.

"Everything that we gained confidence-wise, momentum-wise from winning that race ... was gone," said Earnhardt, who finished fifth in the points that season.

"It definitely took some wind out of the sails."

The Chase is about building momentum during a 10-week stretch. Drivers talk about being consistent.

Jimmie Johnson overcame a poor start to win last year's Chase by scoring five consecutive top-two finishes.

Johnson lost 100 points earlier this season when series officials found the car's front fenders did not conform to rules.

Losing the points didn't affect Johnson since he was high enough in the standings at the time, but he doesn't want to repeat that now.

"We've been known to push the envelope, but the message has been made crystal clear to Hendrick Motorsports and I think to the entire garage area that you don't mess with the Car of Tomorrow and that's where we are," Johnson said, referring to the car being used this weekend.

"We feel like we could potentially be soft in some areas and leaving something on the table, but we can't afford to be lose 100 points or lose a crew chief in the Chase."

Rules have been an issue during the Chase at Dover in recent years.

Johnson won and teammate Kyle Busch was second at this track in 2005, but NASCAR had questions about their shock absorbers.

Series officials issued no penalties. Instead, they changed the rules a week later that prohibited those types of shock absorbers.

In 2004, series officials called Johnson for speeding on pit road.

That controversy helped push NASCAR toward electronic timing of cars on pit road to determine who was speeding.

Previously, series officials randomly hand-timed drivers on pit road.

One can only imagine what might be next. NASCAR's reaction, though, shouldn't be.

"We won't treat the events any differently than we do during the regular season," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR spokesman.

"If it warrants a stiff penalty, I'm sure they'll impose a stiff penalty regardless of the consequences."