David Hyder, one of two Michael Waltrip Racing employees suspended by NASCAR in a cheating scandal at Daytona in February, parted ways with the team yesterday.

"As of this morning, Michael Waltrip Racing and David Hyder have ended their employment relationship," Michael Waltrip said at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

Hyder and team director Bobby Kennedy were put on indefinite suspension and Hyder was fined $100,000 by NASCAR after an illegal substance was found in the intake manifold of Waltrip's No. 55 Toyota during an inspection prior to the season-opening Daytona 500.

Kennedy remains on the team payroll but still is suspended.

NASCAR and the team have investigated the incident, but no results of those investigation have been made public.

There were several other teams caught cheating at Daytona, but the others were for technical violations that resulted only in fines and loss of points.

Waltrip, who was docked a record 100 points, again denied any complicity in the cheating at Daytona.

Waltrip said he met with NASCAR two weeks ago in Texas to discuss the investigation and to see if the team could start the process for getting Hyder and Kennedy off of suspension.

"I know more about what [the substance] is or what it does than I did before Texas," he said. "I didn't have a clue before that."

Asked what the substance was, Waltrip replied: "I don't know. It's supposed to make the motor run better. But it didn't."

Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, managed to qualify for the 500 with a backup car. But the owner of the first-year team has not qualified for a race since.

More NASCAR

Before he was allowed in the racetrack at Talladega, NASCAR made sure Tony Stewart knew the rules. Summoned to a 6 a.m. meeting yesterday with top series officials, the two-time champion retracted every bit of the sharp rant he launched against NASCAR while admitting he damaged the sport's credibility by likening it to professional wrestling.

"I'm sure I did hurt the integrity of it, and unfairly," he said.

Although Stewart wasn't punished for the comments he made on his weekly Sirius Satellite Radio show, NASCAR did fine him $10,000 for skipping a post-race news conference in Phoenix a week ago. He also was placed on probation through the end of the year.

"I can assure you, Tony Stewart knows where he stands with NASCAR right now," spokesperson Jim Hunter said.

Stewart accused NASCAR of using bogus debris cautions to orchestrate the races. The comments were made on his Tuesday night radio show, and in comparing NASCAR to wrestling, Stewart perpetuated every stereotype that NASCAR battles in mainstream America.

Busch

Brad Coleman, 19, gave Joe Gibbs Racing its fifth consecutive Busch Series pole at a restrictor-plate track.

Coleman's lap of 184.299 mph beat out veterans Dave Blaney (184.062) and Jason Leffler (183.935) for the top spot in the Aaron's 312 today at Talladedega Superspeedway.

It will be the first time in his career he has started a race higher than 14th.