Roush still considering all options.

"We are evaluating all avenues of recourse available to us, including invoking the NASCAR appeals process and have asked our outside counsel to assess our options for recourse against the manufacturer and distributor of the spring." - Roush Racing President Geoff Smith

Responding to notification that 25 Owner and Driver points were being confiscated by NASCAR for use of an "unapproved" left front spring on Mark Martin's Viagra Ford Taurus, key Roush Racing personnel made these comments:

Ben Leslie, Crew Chief: " We used a spring manufactured by an approved NASCAR manufacturer exactly as it came to us out of the box. We are being charged with the same penalty as teams that materially altered springs in order to obtain a performance advantage, which is completely unfair."

Bob Osborne, Team Engineer: "It is significant to note that the spring was not altered in any way by the team, and that the deviation was so small as to make absolutely no difference in spring travel or rate---the two elements of spring performance that the rules were intended to regulate."

Mark Martin, Driver: "25 points for using an unaltered spring that had no performance difference from a spring 1/4 " longer; I feel like we just got the death sentence for shoplifting.

"Everyone in the garage knows that it was an honest mistake and provided absolutely zero advantage at that track. I hope the fans understand that and understand that it had nothing to do with the way our car ran on Sunday. I just feel really bad for the Viagra Racing Team and everyone who has worked so hard. This is a pretty steep penalty for what is essentially a meaningless violation."

Geoff Smith, President: "We are evaluating all avenues of recourse available to us, including invoking the NASCAR appeals process and have asked our outside counsel to assess our options for recourse against the manufacturer and distributor of the spring. We quite naturally are upset that we received exactly the same penalty as that imposed on two other teams that altered springs with the expectation of obtaining a performance advantage."