JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — NASCAR added Jeff Gordon to the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship field Friday, a stunning and unprecedented step in the fallout from at least two attempts to manipulate the results at the season-ending race at Richmond last weekend.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France expanded the field to 13 drivers for the first time since the format was implemented 10 years ago.

Front Row Motorsports asked for a deal from Penske Racing at Richmond and then helped make sure Penske's Joey Logano made the Chase field by having one of its drivers, David Gilliland, slow down, according to an Associated Press review of radio communications.

France said NASCAR could not determine a deal was made, but still believed the move was necessary and he placed both teams on probation the rest of the season.

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