The news from Michigan following the Nationwide Series race was like an unexpected slap in the face.

Sports fans across the country would be stunned if Tony Dungy, the coach of the Indianapolis Colts, was accused of cheating, and fans would take a second long at the respect he has gained throughout his career. No one would want to believe it.

The news coming from NASCAR was that Joe Gibbs Racing was found trying to falsify the horsepower being generated by the team’s Toyota Camrys.

Say it ain’t so, Joe! But Gibbs admitted to the subterfuge.

Magnets were placed under the gas pedal so the throttle couldn’t be opened fully, which would impact the horsepower being generated by the engine. NASCAR uses the dyno testing to make sure the competition on the track is equal.

What is shocking about the revelation is that Joe Gibbs is the one owner in NASCAR who has a squeaky clean reputation, cultivated through many years as the coach of the Washington Redskins.

Gibbs admitted to the shenanigans undertaken by someone on his racing team and announced he would accept whatever penalties are assessed by NASCAR against the team’s two cars.

What now has to come into question is the dominance that Gibbs Racing has shown in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series all year long. Were the magnets in place during other dyno testing to determine the horsepower output?

In the past, NASCAR has fined teams $100,000, taken away 100 owner points and suspended crew chiefs for six weeks. For teams not seeking a championship, the penalties are nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Teams can continue to compete without a crew chief, as was demonstrated last year by Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon en route to battling for the Sprint Cup championship, which Johnson captured.

The problem is that cheating in NASCAR has been an accepted way of life since the sanctioning body started six decades ago. It has always been called “pushing the envelope” or tweaking the performance of the cars.

There was no shame attached to it until a team or crew chief was caught. Even NASCAR officials sort of winked out of the corner of their collective eye when cheating was discovered.

It started last year at the Daytona 500 when Michael Waltrip’s Toyota was found not once but twice to have an illegal substance (jet fuel) in the carburetor. Inside of parking Waltrip’s team for the weekend, little Mikey and Dale Jarrett were allowed to compete in the qualifying races and start the Daytona 500.

NASCAR should have parked them for at least one race and in reality should have parked Waltrip’s car for two or three. Instead, NASCAR collected the fine and suspended the crew chief.

Until NASCAR can get a handle on the under-the-table cheating, it will continue to have a problem when it comes to luring new fans. Last year, officials at the Snowball Derby in Florida parked a team for trying to add weight to the car by having the driver place lug nuts in his pockets. There was no fine, and you can continue to race. The team went home.

Joe Gibbs will probably take harsh steps in dealing with those members of the team who tried to pull the wool over NASCAR eyes, but too many other owners would gladly pay the fine and continue to stretch the rules until they were caught a second or third time.