(CHARLOTTE) -- What would appear as a small penalty for Carl Edwards is significant int he midst of a tight Chase run. NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications, Jim Hunter announced Tuesday that Edwards would be penalized 25 points for failing a post-race inspection on Sunday. Edwards' crew chief was also fined $25,000 and suspended through the end of the year. "Our inspection found that the car was low and didn't meet specifications. It was an unintentional violation," said Hunter.

Edwards looses over half his gain in the point stands after winning on Sunday. He drops from third to sixth. This is significant considering the margin separating Chase contenders. Hunter made it clear that just because a driver might be contending for a championship, he's will still pay the price for a rules violation. "We're not going to treat penalties any different than we normally do. The same rules apply, the same procedures apply."

Edwards could still recover. "After two race [in the Chase] only 28 points separate the top six drivers."