Penske: Team wasn't cheating, but working in 'gray area'

Roger Penske's team was heavily suspended and fined by NASCAR this week.

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LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Roger Penske said his organization wasn't cheating but rather working in a gray area of the rule book when NASCAR confiscated parts from the cars of defending champion Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano.

NASCAR severely punished Penske Racing this week with six-race suspensions for seven team members, $200,000 in fines and the loss of 25 points from each driver. Penske is appealing.

The team owner said Saturday at the IndyCar race in Long Beach the parts taken from the rear-end housings of both Fords last week in Texas had been approved by NASCAR.

Penske says NASCAR has accused the team of modifying the parts after approval.

He said Logano had already passed pre-race inspection at Texas when NASCAR called the car back to tech after Keselowski's had failed.