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NASCAR adds Gordon to Chase field amid controversy
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Driver Jeff Gordon signs autographs for fans as he walks to his garage during practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Friday, Sept. 13, 2013. - photo by Associated Press
JOLIET, Ill. — NASCAR added Jeff Gordon to the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship field Friday, a stunning and unprecedented step in the fallout from at least two attempts to manipulate the results of the regular season-ending race at Richmond last weekend.Chairman Brian France expanded the field to 13 drivers for the first time since the format was implemented in 2004.Front Row Motorsports appeared to ask for a deal from Penske Racing in the closing laps at Richmond as part of an apparent request from Penske to give Joey Logano pivotal track position he needed to earn a spot in the Chase. Logano passed Front Row driver David Gilliland, who then seemed to slow down by at least 1 mph, according to an Associated Press review of radio communications and data.France said NASCAR could not determine there was a bargain between Front Row and Penske, but still believed the move was necessary to protect the integrity of the series. He said both teams had been placed on probation for the rest of the season."Too many things altered the event and gave an unfair disadvantage to Jeff and his team," France said.