NASCAR officials said someone illegally altered the rear window on Johnson's Chevrolet after it passed through pre-qualifying inspection. ... Labonte's car was found to have illegal modifications to the carburetor.
Both drivers will have to start from the rear of the field during Thursday's qualifying races. The outcome of those races determines the starting lineup for the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 19. But Hunter left open the possibility of further penalties, including confiscation of the cars, suspension of the crew chiefs, monetary fines and maybe even a points deduction.