7 members of Joe Gibbs Racing suspended after this incident ....

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Seven team members of Joe Gibbs Racing have been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR after an attempt to distort engine power in a dynamometer test following Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

Tony Stewart, who drove the No. 20 car at Michigan, and Joey Logano in the 18 were docked 150 championship points and placed on probation through the end of this year. Team owner Joe Gibbs also was penalized 150 points on both of the entries.

In addition, crew chiefs Jason Ratcliff of the No. 18 and Dave Rogers of the No. 20 have been fined $50,000 each and indefinitely suspended from NASCAR duties. Dorian Thorsen, engine tuner Michael Johnson and crew member Toby Bigelow of the 18 also were placed on indefinite suspension.

From the No. 20 team, car chief Richard Bray and engine tuner Dan Bajek have been indefinitely suspended.

Both teams have been placed on probation through the end of the year.

The penalties are unprecedented for the Nationwide Series.

NASCAR determined after the race that a magnetic spacer was attached under the gas pedal of both cars for the intent of compromising the chassis dynamometer test.

The infraction came several weeks after NASCAR ordered that all Toyotas use a smaller spacer that would knock about 15 horsepower from their engines.

Toyota had won 14 of 21 races, all but one in a Camry fielded by JGR, before the mandate. It won the first race after the cutback with Kyle Busch at Indianapolis.

The 20 car was first in owner points, 318 ahead of the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing car before the penalty. The 18, running a part-time schedule, was 27th in points.

J.D. Gibbs had several meetings with NASCAR about the decision. He argued that the engines were legal and that the team was being penalized for working hard to generate more horsepower than the competition.

Other owners argued that the Toyota engine design allowed for more horsepower than the engines of Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford would allow.

Gibbs made it clear he had no knowledge of the attempt to alter the results of the dynamometer test and that the organization would take its own action against the guilty parties after an internal investigation was complete.

David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached