Jim G:
It's DSQ. I recall that at a National Championship in the mid-90s, a top finishing CM car was about 3 or 4 lbs underweight. DSQ.
That was me. It was the 1993 Nationals, after the 1st day. That was the first day I ever drove that cool yellow car you've got.
I wasn't disqualified. The philosophy of the protest committee that year was that "no illegal car shall finish in front of any legal car," so they made me tied with the last-place car, NOT a DSQ. I went from 3rd place to tied for 42nd, if I recall correctly. Unfortunately, the last place car had either spun or DNFed every run, so it was effectively a 15.2 second penalty. But at least it wasn't a DSQ.
I served on several nationals protest committees after that year, and I can say that just because that specific decision was made in 1993 does not mean it would be the same penalty in another year with a different protest committee.
Josh Sirota
Go, Dog. Go! Racing