Instead of starting fifth in the Daytona 500, Harvick had to get in by owner points and will start 38th on Sunday.
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His car exceeded the maximum split of separation in the track bar. Teams get 3 inches of split, and Harvick’s car had the proper measurements in prerace inspection. The more split there is, the more rear downforce a car could have.
“Everybody in the garage has adjusted their cars during the race, and it’s never been an issue afterward. … We need to figure that stuff out on our side and make sure we don’t put ourselves in this position again,” team competition director Greg Zipadelli said.
The infraction is considered a qualifying infraction and his penalty is the loss of starting position. No other penalties will be issued.