FLASH.(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc.)

ROUND TWO

The Ferrari/McLaren document scandal (Competition, Aug. 6) will drag on after Federation Internationale de l'Automobile president Max Mosley sent the case to the FIA International Court of Appeal. The World Motor Sport Council ruled originally that McLaren should receive no penalty because no evidence showed that the team used any stolen data.

A second issue has arisen: Gino Macaluso, president of Italy's national motorsports body, says McLaren breached the Sporting Code as early as March. He says its request for a clarification of the rule concerning "flexible floors," which it made at the season opener in Australia, came after Ferrari's Nigel Stepney tipped off the team about Ferrari's use of such a device. The FIA consequently banned the design.

In a letter to Macaluso, McLaren boss Ron Dennis wrote that Ferrari won Australia with an illegal car and that Stepney's action as a "whistle-blower" should be applauded. Stepney continues to deny any involvement with either incident.

STEWART, BIFFLE FINED

NASCAR docked Tony Stewart 25 points and fined him $25,000 for swearing during a post-Brickyard 400 TV interview. Team owner Joe Gibbs lost 25 owner points.

NASCAR also fined Greg Biffle $5,000 and placed him on probation through the end of the year for not fulfilling all of his postrace media obligations after the recent Busch Series race at Clermont, Indiana.