They've got darn-good drivers at Hendrick Motorsports, and they make darn-fast race cars. But you have to wonder about the team's ability to learn the lessons of life in the world of NASCAR.

Yesterday afternoon, the folks at Hendrick were smacked with some very harsh penalties from NASCAR because two of their cars were found to be illegal Friday at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

As harsh as the penalties are -- loss of 100 driver points each for Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, six-race suspensions for their crew chiefs and $100,000 fines for each crew chief -- they should not come as a surprise.

The penalties are the same as those levied upon the team of the biggest star in NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr., just a month ago.

And they come after repeated warnings from NASCAR chairman Brian France that his series will not tolerate tampering with the bodies of the Car of Tomorrow. France issued that warning again at Infineon when he told reporters, "We have to lay down the law."

When told of the penalties placed on Hendrick, Clint Bowyer, a driver for Richard Childress Racing, said: "I'd say [NASCAR officials] are not kidding around with the Car of Tomorrow. I thought that after they hit the biggest car in the series [Earnhardt's], it would send out a message."

Gordon is still the Nextel Cup points leader, but the penalty reduced his lead over second-place Denny Hamlin to 171 points.

Johnson is the defending series champion. Yesterday's penalty knocked him from third place to fifth and allowed Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton to each move up a notch.

Team owner Rick Hendrick did not talk to reporters, but instead issued a statement. "We are disappointed in NASCAR's decision and feel the penalties are excessive," it read. "Right now, all of our options are being evaluated, including our personnel situation and a possible appeal to the National Stock Car Racing Commission."

The problems with the cars were found Friday during the initial inspection of the weekend. They involved body modifications on the fronts of the cars. Both drivers were removed from qualifying and had to start at the rear of the field for Sunday's road race.

Hendrick, who was also docked 100 owner points -- as was Gordon, who owns Johnson's car -- told reporters at Infineon that modifications made to his cars were not attempts at cheating. He said he thought his teams were on the correct side of a gray area concerning the Car of Tomorrow.

Gordon, a four-time series champion, said he thought that being bumped from qualifying was in itself a significant penalty. Especially at Infineon, where passing is so difficult.

"I think the punishment on Friday fit the crime," Gordon said after the race. "I think that anything further than that is going to be extremely disappointing and really kind of a jaw-dropper."

Gordon finished seventh in the race, and Johnson 17th.

"You have a rule book, and we have rules," owner/driver Kyle Petty said. "NASCAR has been adamant about the COT. For 24 months they've been adamant about the COT. Don't mess with us on this."