Richmond 400 Winner Hit With $40,000 Penalty

RICHMOND, Va. - Mark Martin apparently will get to keep the Richmond 400 victory he scored in thrilling fashion at Richmond Raceway, but at a cost of a $40,000 fine and 46 points toward the NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship because of an illegal carburetor spacer.

It's the biggest fine in NASCAR history, easily surpassing a $10,000 assessment against Bobby Allison for illegal roller tappets at Ontario, Calif., in 1974 and $35,000 against Richard Petty for a large engine and illegal tires at Charlotte in 1983.

Derrike Cope, the surprise winner in last week's Daytona 500, lost a lap early and was never a factor in yesterday's race. His day ended on the 309th lap, when his vehicle as it exited the second turn. As his Chevrolet slid across the track, it was rammed by Butch Miller's car.

About 2 1/2 hours after Martin took the checkered flag, NASCAR official Dick Beaty announced that a violation had been found on the victorious Ford fielded for Martin by the Jack Roush team, based near Greensboro, N.C.

``The maximum allowable height of the spacer is two inches,'' said Beaty. ``The spacer on the No. 6 car was 2 1/2 inches.''

The spacer is a device that raises the carburetor off the intake manifold. It is restricted to two inches so that the carburetor and air cleaner will fit under the hoods of the race cars.

``I do not know at this time if having it higher is an advantage or not,'' said Beaty.

``I'm surprised,'' Martin said when notified last night of the infraction. ``I'm going to bed. I have nothing to say. Catch me tomorrow. Maybe I'll feel better about it.''

Neither Roush nor team leaders Steve Hmiel and Robin Pemberton were available for comment. They have 30 days to appeal to NASCAR's vice president for competition, Les Richter.

Martin won $59,150.

Beaty said the amount of the fine left the team with the Winner's Circle Plan appearance money it would have received anyway and ``enough to pay its tire bill.''

Forty-six points were deducted - the difference in what Martin originally earned for winning and what he would have received as the last driver on the lead lap.

Martin led only once in the 400-lap, 300-mile race.

Nissan wins Grand Prix

-- MIAMI - Geoff Brabham, Chip Robinson and Bob Earl combined to win the attrition-filled Miami Grand Prix, racing off to a one-lap victory in a Nissan prototype.

Brabham and Robinson came up with their second straight Miami victory, with Brabham, who started from the pole for the fourth straight year, winning on the downtown street circuit for the third time in four years.