DEI teammates demoted after qualifying.

Dale Earnhardt Incorporated teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jason Keller both had their Bud Pole qualifying times disallowed at the Talladega Superspeedway after NASCAR officials found illegalities with the height of the rear quarter panels of their Chevrolet Monte Carlo's.

Earnhardt Jr and Keller, who is driving the #1 DEI Pennzoil Monte Carlo this weekend in place of John Andretti, had qualified 11th and 33rd respectively for Sunday's EA Sports 500 at the 2.66-mile oval before post qualifying technical inspection revealed that both quarterpanels on the two cars were 1/16th of an inch too low.

NASCAR rules state the quarterpanels must be a minimum of 35 inches from the ground on the left side and 36 inches on the right. NASCAR allows teams a quarter-inch tolerance after the car qualifies and goes through post-qualifying inspection. Earnhardt Jr.'s quarterpanels measured 5/16ths of an inch too low in post-race inspection.

Keller's time was disallowed for the same reason, leaving both him and Dale Jr back among the provisional qualifiers. For Dale Jr that meant 38th position behind points leader Matt Kenseth, while Keller scraped into the field in 43rd and last spot owing to the #1 team's 30th place standing in owner's points.

Ironically, Steve Park, who started the year with the #1 team but now drives for Richard Childress' #30 AOL team failed to qualify after Earnhardt Jr's time was disallowed. Park had taken the 43rd starting spot, but he became a DNQ owing to the #30 team's 31st place in owner points.

"This is restrictor-plate racing, and you have to get everything you can get," said #8 crew chief Tony Eury Sr. "We were just a little too low."

Jim Hunter, vice president of corporate communications for NASCAR, confirmed the penalties for both teams.

"The No. 8 car's time has been disallowed," Hunter stated. "He failed post-qualifying inspection. The quarterpanels were too low. He will receive a provisional starting spot and will start 38th. The No. 1 car also failed post-qualifying inspection for the same reason. He will start 43rd."

Earlier this year at Talladega both David Green and Larry Foyt had their qualifying times disallowed for the same deficiency, resulting in a DNQ for the pair of them. This time both drivers made it into the field on speed, although Foyt only crept into the top 36 when Earnhardt Jr's time was disallowed.