NASCAR tosses car chiefs for 3 drivers before Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. >> NASCAR has ejected the car chiefs for Chase Elliott, Ty Dillon and Austin Dillon through the Daytona 500 for repeated inspection failures before qualifying for the race.

The drivers also were docked 15 minutes from the final Cup practice before next Sunday’s race. NASCAR has cracked down this season on inspection failures and will disqualify race-winning cars that break the rules.

Greg Ebert for Austin Dillon, Billy Plourde for Ty Dillon and Josh Kirk for Elliott will not be allowed to return to the garage until the next race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Austin Dillon won the Daytona 500 last season for Richard Childress Racing. Elliott, NASCAR’s most popular driver, drives for Hendrick Motorsports and Dillon races for Germain Racing.