NASCAR has had enough with cheaters

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR announced Monday that it will disqualify race-winning cars that break the rules this season, confronting its longtime culture of cheating with a stringent new penalty system.

“If you are illegal, you don’t win the race,” said Steve

O’Donnell, NASCAR’s chief racing development officer. “We cannot allow inspection and penalties to continue to be a prolonged storyline. Race vehicles are expected to adhere to the rule book from the opening of the garage to the checkered flag.”

The new approach is a seismic shift for NASCAR because it traditionally wanted fans to leave the event knowing who won the race. If a car failed inspection, either at the track or in a more thorough secondary teardown at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in the days following the race, driver and team were usually docked points, fined or in some cases had crew members suspended.

The penalties were typically not announced until several days after the race.

ARGOS RE-SIGN BURKS

The Toronto Argonauts resigned American running back

Brandon Burks to a contract extension through the 2020 season.

The 5-foot-9, 208-pound Burks was scheduled to become a free agent Feb. 12.

Burks ran 45 times for 283 yards over eight games last season with Toronto.

CESPEDES STILL HEALING

The Mets don’t expect to have an idea until sometime during the season when Yoenis

Cespedes will return from surgery on both heels.

The 33-year-old outfielder was limited to 38 games last year. Dr. Robert Anderson operated to remove bone calcification from Cespedes’ right heel on Aug. 2 and from the left on Oct. 26.

While watching the team’s equipment truck leave for spring training Monday, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said, “I don’t think we’ll have an idea during spring training.”