While Middlebrook upheld the points deductions and fines, he reduced suspensions for several team members from six points-paying races plus the Sprint All-Star Race to the next two points-paying races and the All-Star Race.

“After looking at all the facts and data and interpretations from the rule book, I have decided to uphold the original fines and points penalties,” Middlebrook said. “However, I have decided to reduce the suspensions of the seven team members involved from six points races and the all-star race to two points races and the all-star race.”

The penalties came as a result of NASCAR having an issue with the rear ends of the cars prior to the Texas race. The issue was remedied before the event. In its original penalties announcement, NASCAR cited sections 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4J (Any determination by NASCAR Officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to the NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20 of the NASCAR rule book, or has not been approved by NASCAR prior to the event) and 20-12 (All suspension systems and components must be approved by NASCAR. Prior to being used in competition, all suspension systems and components must be submitted in a completed form/assembly to the office of the NASCAR competition administrator for consideration of approval and approved by NASCAR. Each such part may thereafter be used until NASCAR determines that such part is no longer eligible. All suspension fasteners and mounting hardware must be made of solid magnetic steel. All front end and rear end suspension mounts with mounting hardware assembled must have single round mounting holes that are the correct size for the fastener being used. All front end and rear end suspension mounts and mounting hardware must not allow movement or realignment of any suspension component beyond component normal rotation or suspension travel.) of the 2013 NASCAR rule book.

As a result of Middlebrook’s ruling, crew chiefs Paul Wolfe (2) and Todd Gordon (22), car chiefs Jerry Kelley (2) and Raymond Fox (22), team engineers Brian Wilson (2) and Samuel Stanley (22) and Penske Racing Competition Director Travis Geisler will miss Saturday night’s race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 18, and the Coca-Cola 600, also at Charlotte, on May 26.

Penalties that were upheld by Middlebrook include $100,000 fines for Wolfe and Gordon, the loss of 25 driver points for Keselowski and Logano and the loss of 25 owner points for each car for team owner Roger Penske.

– Photo courtesy of Getty Images for NASCAR

Follow Stock Car Spin on Twitter @SCSblog or like Stock Car Spin on Facebook. Amanda’s also on Twitter @NASCARexaminer and has a fan/like page on Facebook: NASCAR Examiner.

“I’m happy for Regan and JR Motorsports,” Smith’s teammate, Kasey Kahne said. “I’m surprised they threw that caution when, other times, they wouldn’t have.”

Kahne was the driver who actually crossed the line first, but he had to settle for third, as that was the position he was running in when the caution came out, freezing the field.

Joey Logano was credited with a second-place finish.

Drivers caught up in the last-lap wreck that ended the race included Alex Bowman, Brian Vickers and Elliott Sadler, along with several others.

“I saw the caution come out, so I knew I didn’t win,” Kahne said.

Kahne didn’t get the win, but Smith acknowledged an assist from his teammate in getting him from seventh to the win on the final lap.

“We don’t do it without the 5 car pushing us,” Smith said. “All we wre worried about was getting to the front.”

Saturday’s race was delayed nearly three hours by rain, so darkness hit the track before the end of the 117-lap scheduled distance. During a caution on lap 92, NASCAR officials decided to shave 10 laps off the race distance, but three laps were added back by a yellow flag with two laps to go and an attempt at a green-white-checker finish.

The wreck on the final lap wasn’t the biggest of the race. The fifth caution of the race on lap 92 was the result of a 10-car incident that involved Brian Scott, Johanna Long, Trevor Bayne, Ty Dillon, Sam Hornish Jr, and Nelson Piquet Jr., among others. Some of those drivers, including Hornish and Bayne had previously spent quite a bit of time at the front of the field.

The wreck cost Hornish the points lead. He headed into the race with a one-point lead over Smith. After the race, Smith claimed a 27-point lead over Hornish.

Other drivers who spent time up front included pole sitter Travis Pastrana, Logano, Justin Allgaier, Sadler, Parker Kligerman and Kurt Busch.

By the green-white-checker restart, Austin Dillon had gotten back on the lead lap to restart the race with the lead. He went a lap down early in the race because of a broken spark plug. He remained a lap down for much of the race.

Dillon got a push out front by Kligerman, but the Dillon-Kligerman tandem was overtaken by Busch and Allgaier on the last lap. They were all passed by Kahne, Logano and Smith in the last lap chaos, but before the final caution came out.

Busch finished fourth, and Allgaier rounded out the top-five. Finishing sixth through 10th were Kligerman, Mike Wallace, Jason White, Jeremy Clements and Austin Dillon.

– Photo courtesy of Getty Images for NASCAR

Follow Stock Car Spin on Twitter @SCSblog or like Stock Car Spin on Facebook. Amanda’s also on Twitter @NASCARexaminer and has a fan/like page on Facebook: NASCAR Examiner.