Jimmie Johnson’s Daytona 500 entry, the Lowe’s Chevrolet, failed technical inspection mid-day on Friday, according to published reports. The incident involved the Hendrick Motorsports car that Johnson expects to qualify for the season-opening race, and it does not involve the car entered in the Budweiser Shootout.

The affected area is the C-post, which involves the area between the roof and the quarter panel or the back-window post. Modification of the C-post could be done to attain an aerodynamic advantage. NASCAR removed or cut-out the area in question, and they will subject it to substantive tests.

In the meantime, the team has been allowed to repair the car and new C-posts are being flown in from the team’s Charlotte headquarters. Once the car passes inspection, the team is expected to practice on Saturday and to qualify on Sunday.

Crew chief Chad Knaus is in the spotlight on this matter, and it remains to be seen the type of action that NASCAR may initiate against him and possibly others. NASCAR could suspend the involved parties, but that’s only speculation at this point. No action is expected until at least next week. In 2006 at Daytona, a Knaus-prepared car failed post-qualifying inspection, and Knaus was sent home prior to the race.