Hendrick will not appeal penalties against teams

CONCORD, N.C. -- Car owner Rick Hendrick on Thursday confirmed that the sanctions levied by NASCAR on Tuesday against the Nos. 24 and 48 Nextel Cup Series teams will not be appealed by Hendrick Motorsports. (Garage Pass)

"The penalties are excessive," Hendrick reiterated, "but we're not going to put time and resources into issuing an appeal. Instead, we will direct that energy into our internal processes to make sure we have full confidence that our cars will meet standards when presented for inspection each week.

Penalties announced

Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson were hit with severe penalties on Tuesday following their infractions at Sonoma.

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"We've said from the beginning that this would be a learning process [with the Car of Tomorrow] and there would be a lot of give and take between NASCAR and the teams to figure it out. That doesn't seem to be the case now, and I don't think it's the right direction to go."

No. 24 car chief Jeff Meendering and No. 48 car chief Ron Malec have been named interim crew chiefs for their respective teams beginning with Sunday's Nextel Cup event at New Hampshire International Speedway.

"In Jeff and Ron, we have two guys who know their teams inside and out," Hendrick said. "They both have been here a long time, they both know the pressures involved and they both have the full support of our entire organization. We don't expect to miss a beat."

Meendering, 30, began his Hendrick Motorsports career in October of 1994 sweeping floors in the chassis shop as a 16-year-old high-school junior. He has since won 10 NASCAR championships as a member of the organization.

"Jeff is my go-to guy. We have similar backgrounds and we've both been here [with Hendrick Motorsports] a long time," said Steve Letarte, crew chief for the No. 24. "This is a tough pill to swallow for me, but he'll do a great job leading the team and keeping things moving in a positive direction. We'll rally and Jeff will get more support from the organization than you can imagine."

From Grand Rapids, Mich., Meendering joined the No. 24 team in 2000 under crew chief Robbie Loomis, working as a setup specialist and mechanic before being promoted to car chief in September of 2005. (Continued)