Unrestricted: My NASCAR Rants & Raves

You Got Me Under Pressure

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:38:00 +0000

First of all, I think ZZ Top still rocks! As for the ho-hum race, not so much.

Ok, ok so Jimmie Johnson wrecked in the 2nd lap. Big deal. The guy still has a seventy something lead going on. I don't believe anyone will put much more of a dent in his point lead unless something catastrophic happens like Sunday's little accident.

Anyway, my hopes of Junior having a top 5 pretty much stalled like Junior's car did on pit row. Yep, something or someone always seems to ruin Junior's day. But I have to say I was absolutely giddy when Kyle Busch had the same thing happen to him. That pretty much shut everyone's trap.

I was so sick and tired hearing the commentators talk about Kyle's potential historic weekend that I wanted to throw the TV right out the front door.

And speaking of TV, did anyone see who finished in what place? I saw Kurt Busch and that was it. ESPN was so preoccupied with Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch that they didn't even bother to show the rest of the field crossing the finish line. What is up with that?

So, let me know if I am the only one that thinks ESPN should not be covering NASCAR races until they read the "how to broadcast a NASCAR race properly" manual. Pfft.

CUP: Hendrick Wants Earnhardt’s Problems Fixed

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:50:00 +0000

CUP: Hendrick Wants Earnhardt’s Problems Fixed

Keselowski to make first start in 12 car at Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:38:00 +0000

Penske announced Sept. 1 that Keselowski will drive the No. 12 Dodge full time in the Sprint Cup Series next year, and the team has opted to get an early start on the transition.

"Penske Racing wants to give Brad an opportunity to work with the team and get to know the racecar as we prepare for the 2010 season," owner Roger Penske said Monday. "These three races will provide a good base for both Brad and the team as we head into next year."

Keselowski, 25, has been driving part time in the Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports and James Finch's Phoenix Racing while competing full time in the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports. Keselowski is third in the Nationwide standings with four victories, the most recent coming Oct. 24 at Memphis Motorsports Park.

"I am very excited to begin working with the Penske Racing team, and I look forward to competing in the No. 12 Penske Dodge in the final three Cup Series races of the year," Keselowski said. "We all have high expectations for next season and beyond and being able to race with the team this year will only help us as we look toward 2010."

Keselowski finished eighth at Talladega Superspeedway in his last ride in Finch's No. 09 Chevrolet. Keselowski has four top-10s in 12 Cup starts in 2009 and scored his only win in the series at Talladega in April driving for Finch.

Stremme, 32, is winless in 108 Cup starts and does not have a top-10 finish in 33 starts this season. He is 31st in the points standings. This was his first year in the Cup Series with Penske Racing after breaking in with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2005.

Nice going NASCAR

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:08:00 +0000

Oh yeah the rules and regulations really made Dega racing so much better, NOT! In my opinion, NASCAR is losing its fan base and it's not just because of the economy.

Ryan Newman said it best after his awful wreck:

Then after the red flag, this occurred:

Yeah NASCAR you really got a handle on things, don't ya? Pfft!

Boo!

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:54:00 +0000

Question

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:22:00 +0000

Will you watch Sunday's race at Dega after NASCAR has screwed with the cars once again?

I really don't know if I'll watch it or not. Unfortunately, I've really become bored with Sprint Cup. The Truck and Nationwide series are a so much more interesting and has less of the bull crap.

In my opinion, NASCAR is ruining itself and it's quite obvious that NASCAR doesn't care what the fans want. That's fine NASCAR have it your way, but you'll have more and more empty seats because of it. A matter of fact, we didn't renew our Daytona 500 seats for next season. And when and if NASCAR removes its head out of its own ass, maybe we'll come back until then, you won't see me at Daytona or any other race anytime soon.

HMS: McGrew to return as crew chief for No. 88 in '10

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:10:00 +0000

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 30, 2009) – Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick has named Lance McGrew the full-time crew chief of the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolets driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The 41-year-old McGrew assumed the role May 28 on an interim basis.

"I have total faith in Lance and what he's capable of accomplishing with Dale Jr.," Hendrick said. "There was a lot of pressure with how he came into this deal, and the way he's handled it has been extremely impressive. Lance is confident in himself and in his decisions, and all the outside distractions aren't going to faze him. He's a strong-willed guy who will keep his eye on the ball and not settle."

McGrew will complete the final four races of the 2009 schedule, beginning with this weekend's AMP Energy 500 at Talladega, Ala., and return in 2010, which will mark the 11th full-time Sprint Cup season for Earnhardt.

"Lance has been part of the solution, not the problem," said Earnhardt, an 18-time winner in the Sprint Cup Series. "He's tough, which is what I need, and we've really clicked in a short period of time. The communication has gotten better every practice and every race, and I know that's going to keep improving. Having this decision behind us is really important, and now we can focus on the future instead of the past."

As a crew chief, McGrew earned the 2003 Nationwide Series championship with driver Brian Vickers and has posted victories in all three of NASCAR's national touring series. In addition to Vickers, he has won races with drivers Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Ricky Hendrick, Mark Martin and Tony Stewart.

"The communication between Dale Jr. and I continues to improve every single week," said McGrew, a native of Baton Rouge, La. "Both of us are 110-percent committed to the success of this team, and we're going to do everything necessary to get the job done for Hendrick Motorsports, our sponsors and Dale's fans."

Allmendinger arrested for DUI after failed field test

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:18:00 +0000

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- A.J. Allmendinger was arrested early Thursday morning on a charge of drunken driving.

Mooresville police said Allmendinger failed a field sobriety test after he was pulled over.

Allmendinger, who drives the No. 44 for Richard Petty Motorsports, said in a statement he had drinks with dinner and made a mistake in driving afterward.

"I honestly felt fine, but I obviously should have erred more on the side of caution, particularly given what I do for a living," Allmendinger said. "It was a bad judgment call and I apologize for that."

RPM officials had no immediate comment.

Allmendinger is a major factor in RPM's long-range plans, and team officials told The Associated Press that Allmendinger was going to be moved into Petty's famed No. 43 next season. Best Buy is expected to sponsor the car.

It's not clear how his arrest may affect that relationship. Petty routinely shunned alcohol sponsorship, and refused to allow his teams to participate in NASCAR's second-tier series when it was sponsored by Busch.

"If anything good can come of this, then hopefully I can be an example of being more aware of drinking responsibly and if even if you feel fine, take a cab, call a friend," Allmendinger said. "Just don't risk it. I will do my best to make it right and use this to learn myself and hopefully educate others."

Junior Needs Pop

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:49:00 +0000

Below is a blog post from rowdy.com. He seemed to have taken a walk inside my head because he wrote what I have been thinking.

Note to Buzz: I tried to get in touch with you but to no avail. If this is unacceptable, please let me know.

By Buzz Cutler

I have heard all of the arguments that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has had pretty good runs in the first five Chase races only to be done in by things beyond his control. I concede the point. I also suggest that it is wholly irrelevant. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. seems to be so incredibly frustrated by his results that the reason for them takes a back seat to his emotional state.

I assume that his equipment is comparable to that of his teammates. Certain members of the Junior Nation have suggested to me that the 88 is being used as a guinea pig in order to test out new ideas for the 5, 24 & 48. I guess that could be true, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Don’t you think Rick Hendrick is more inclined to give Junior every opportunity to get back in a groove rather than hamper him with experimental/risky set-ups?

I am not a Psychologist. I am not a Crew Chief. I am not Rick Hendrick. Still, I believe that if Junior can find some confidence and regain the joy he once felt behind the wheel, his performance is likely to improve. To that end, Tony Eury, Senior might just be the answer.

Tony, Senior currently runs JR Motosports Nationwide efforts and has said he’s perfectly happy continuing to do so, but maybe he shouldn’t be given the choice. I’m not in a position to assess his abilities as a Crew Chief versus Tony, Junior’s or Lance McGrew’s. I also know that past magic is difficult to recapture. Dale, Junior, however, needs to regain his confidence. The last time he had sustained success as a driver was with Eury, the elder. They won back-to-back Nationwide Championships together. They won 15 Cup races together, including the All-Star race and a Daytona 500.

Junior’s Cup Stats with “Pops” (five full-time seasons):
Wins – 15
Top 5’s – 52
Top 10’s – 78

Junior’s Cup Stats without “Pops” (2009 is the fifth season):
Wins – 3
Top 5’s – 36
Top 10’s – 63

Clearly, there are many factors that go into performance. Junior has had some tumultuous years since he and his Uncle split up. Junior left DEI. The Car of Tomorrow was introduced. Reuniting them for the rest of the season isn’t about any of that, and it’s not really about set-ups or equipment. It’s about Junior knowing that he won when he and “Pops” were together. Maybe, just maybe, seeing his Uncle atop the pit box will help him believe he can do so again.

You've got to be kidding me!

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:29:00 +0000

My husband was surfing thru channels and guess what he happened to see? Joey Logano and Kyle Busch on Monday Night Raw (eyeroll).

Yes, they were in the ring talking crap to Chris Jerico and The Big Show. Now, I don't watch wrestling for a number of reasons, but I do know most of the wrestlers names believe it or not. And I was hoping that The Big Show would scoop up Kyle Busch and break him in half. That did not happen, unfortunately.

Logano and Busch are appearing on the program to promote the upcoming O’Reilly Challenge NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 7 – a race during which each driver will helm cars featuring paint schemes from the WWE SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2010 (THQ, ESRB: T) video game. The video game tie-in is nothing new for Logano, as his No. 20 Toyota is sponsored by GameStop, the world’s largest video game and entertainment software retailer.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to guest host WWE Monday Night Raw and I’m happy that we were able to get Kyle on board too,” said Logano. “GameStop is one of the coolest sponsors a driver can have and I love that I’ll get a chance to bring the WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 video game to life the best way I know how – on the racetrack.”

Oh darn, I missed the race

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:02:00 +0000

I was at my nephew's birthday party and from what I read, I really didn't miss much.

So, what did you think of the race?

Phillies Heading Back To World Series

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:30:00 +0000

No. 16 Nationwide team fined and docked points

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:26:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR announced Wednesday that the crew chief, owner and driver of the No. 16 Nationwide Series team have been fined and penalized for violations involving sealed engine rules.

Crew chief Eddie Pardue has been fined $30,000 for violating Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (Race equipment that has been previously sealed by NASCAR for use in an event) and sub-section 8-6 (Failure to submit the sealed engine from the race winner for inspection; removal of the seal from the winning engine without authorization from NASCAR) of the 2009 Nationwide Series rule book.

Team owner Jack Roush was penalized with the loss of 100 championship owner points while driver Matt Kenseth also was docked 100 championship driver points.

Do I have to talk about NASCAR?

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:39:00 +0000

I really don't want to, after all my favorite driver is having one of the worst seasons ever.

Junior is so depressed and frankly, so am I. The poor man can't seem to get a break. And if I hear one more idiot say, "he's not like his father" I am going to scream.

I've been riding it out. There comes a point though when you don't want to ride it out anymore," Earnhardt said Friday at Charlotte. "You just have had enough, you know? It's been a long year. I really don't want the year to be over with, because I like going to the race track every week and racing. But the last several ... well, all year, it's been so ... low.

"The highs have been not very high and the lows have been terribly low. It's hard to want to get back up and try again the next week when you take such a beating. But I don't know what else to do."

"There are a lot of smart people around here," Earnhardt said. "I'm just waiting on somebody to make the call. Put the damn team together and say, 'This is what you've got, and this is what you're going to do next year.' I'm just kind of waiting on that to happen."

Believe me Junior, your loyal fans are waiting too.

Did you see this?

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:02:00 +0000

Earnhardt has “had enough” with frustrating year

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:37:00 +0000

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

CONCORD, N.C.(AP)—Dale Earnhardt Jr. hit rock bottom during his last trip to Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He struggled with his car, feuded with his crew chief and finished a season-low 40th in one of the most embarrassing weekends of his career.

Team owner Rick Hendrick fired crew chief Tony Eury Jr. three days after that May debacle, and things were supposed to turn around with some fresh leadership at Earnhardt’s No. 88 team.

It hasn’t happened.

Little has changed, at least in terms of results, in the four-plus months since. Back at LMS for Saturday night’s race, Earnhardt is slogging through a 51-race winless streak dating back to 2008, his first season with Hendrick Motorsports.

He’s 22nd in the standings, has five top-10s and five DNFs this season, and hasn’t finished higher than 17th in the last six races.

“It’s like really encouraging one day and the next day it’s equally discouraging, and that gets really old,” Earnhardt said Friday. “I’m about to the end of my rope on it.”

Earnhardt seemed deflated as he spoke candidly about a season he has repeatedly characterized as the worst of his career. He said earlier this season that his struggles and the emotional split with Eury, his cousin, weighed heavily on his large family, and Earnhardt doesn’t think he’s mentally strong enough to weather another year this bad.

He could stomach it if there were light at the end of the tunnel, but Earnhardt didn’t seem very encouraged about the progress of his team - particularly when teammates Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon hold three of the top five spots in the standings and are all in contention for the Sprint Cup title.

The three Hendrick cars were predictably stout in Friday’s qualifying - Johnson and Martin swept the front row - but Earnhardt was 39th and said his team looked “ridiculous.”

Even worse, he doesn’t have any solutions.

“I’ve been riding it out, but there comes a point where you don’t want to ride it out no more. You’ve just had enough,” he said. “It’s been so low. The highs have not been very high, and the lows have been terribly low. That’s hard to want get back up and try again the next week when you take such a beating. I don’t know what else to do.”

It’s a far cry from just two weeks ago, when Earnhardt seemed upbeat after qualifying second at Kansas. He gave interim crew chief Lance McGrew a strong endorsement for 2010 and thought his team had turned a corner.

But after leading 41 laps at Kansas, a pit road penalty took him out of contention and an engine problem later ended his race early. He was good last week at California, too, but was hit late by Ryan Newman and the contact caused a flat tire. It started a sequence of events that led to a late accident and a 25th-place finish.

“I was really upset,” he said quietly. “I was really, really upset.”

To the point that Earnhardt no longer even trusts his recommendation that McGrew should stay onboard next season. Hendrick said at Kansas that his plan has always been to discuss next season after this weekend at Charlotte, and Earnhardt doesn’t have much confidence in his suggestions right now.

“I don’t have the credentials to make the call, you know?” Earnhardt said. “If I told you I wanted to be with Lance next year, I wouldn’t be telling that out of my knowledge of expertise and talent. I’d be telling you, because it’s fun hanging out with him.

“I don’t think I’m the guy to leave that decision up to because I wouldn’t make the right one. Or there’s probably better people to make it, especially in the organization. There’s a lot of smart people around there. I’m just waiting for somebody to make the call. Just tell me.”

Former Cup champion Rusty Wallace said he’s spoken to Earnhardt and characterized his mood as “total frustration mode.”

“Right now he’s in this tough position because Hendrick Motorsports is so good. You got Johnson, you got Gordon, you got Mark Martin and they’re running up front, and he can’t get his hot rod to run up front,” Wallace said. “I almost feel like this guy needs a group of bandits to let him go out in the garage all by himself and say ‘Here, do anything you … want for a month and let’s see how it turns out.”’

Edwards and wife expecting 1st child

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:12:00 +0000

CONCORD, N.C. (AP)—Carl Edwards says he’ll become a first-time father at the start of next NASCAR season.

Edwards’ wife, Kate, is due in mid-February. The couple is having a girl, and Edwards joked they’ll name her “Daytona” because her birth is projected around the season-opening Daytona 500.

Edwards says they went for the ultrasound this week to learn the gender, and the nervous dad-to-be “almost passed out” when he saw the baby move.

NASCAR Hall of Fame Selection No. 4: Dale Earnhardt

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:08:00 +0000

Relive the announcement of the fourth selection into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt here.

Get your Earnhardt HOF merchandise here.

Hall of Fame charter class to be announced Oct. 14

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:22:00 +0000

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR will gather at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday to announce the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
About the Hall

The nominees, which include many of the sport's legendary names, were selected by a 21-person nominating committee consisting of representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and track owners from both major facilities and historic short tracks.

The HOF's first inductees will be determined by the Voting Panel, which has 50 members -- the entire Nominating Committee, 14 media members, four manufacturer representatives, nine retired competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs -- three each) and two recognized industry leaders. In addition, the fan vote will result in the Voting Panel's 51st and final ballot.

The inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be inducted into the Hall in a ceremony to be held May 23, 2010, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.

The 25 nominees:

• Bobby Allison, 1983 Cup Series champion and winner of 84 races
• Buck Baker, first driver to win consecutive Cup Series championships
• Red Byron, first Cup Series champion, in 1949
• Richard Childress, 11-time car owner champion in the national series
• Dale Earnhardt, won a record seven Cup Series championships
• Richie Evans, nine-time NASCAR Modified champion
• Tim Flock, two-time Cup Series champion
• Bill France Jr., NASCAR president, chairman and CEO (1972-2003)
• Bill France Sr., NASCAR founder and first president (1948-1972)
• Rick Hendrick, 11-time car owner champion in the national series
• Ned Jarrett, two-time Cup Series champion
• Junior Johnson, 50 wins as driver; 132 wins and six championships as owner
• Bud Moore, 63 wins and two Cup Series titles as a car owner
• Raymond Parks, NASCAR's first champion car owner
• Benny Parsons, 1973 Cup Series champion
• David Pearson, 105 victories and three Cup Series championships
• Lee Petty, winner of first Daytona 500 and first three-time series champion
• Richard Petty, 200 wins and seven Cup Series titles -- both records
• Fireball Roberts, won 33 Cup Series races, including the 1962 Daytona 500
• Herb Thomas, first two-time Cup Series champion, 1951 and '53
• Curtis Turner, early personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing"
• Darrell Waltrip, winner of 84 races and three Cup Series championships
• Joe Weatherly, two-time Cup Series champion
• Glen Wood, as driver, laid foundation for Wood Brothers' future team success
• Cale Yarborough, winner of three consecutive Cup Series titles, 1976-78

Junior gets the shaft once again!

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:53:00 +0000

I'm still ticked off from last race, so it's doubtful I'm going to be talking about today's race in depth.

Tom Logano’s credential pulled after altercation

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:50:00 +0000

FONTANA, Calif. (AP)—NASCAR officials pulled

Joey Logano

’s father’s credential after he confronted Greg Biffle on Saturday following the Nationwide Series race.

A NASCAR spokesman said Tom Logano walked up to Biffle’s car on pit road and had a verbal altercation with the driver.

Biffle and Joey Logano tangled earlier in the race, with Biffle putting Logano’s No. 20 Toyota into the wall, a move Biffle hinted at over the radio beforehand.

Joey Logano came back to win the race while Biffle finished 14th.

Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs said he had no immediate knowledge of the event. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Tom Logano was meeting with officials to talk about the incident.

Jimmie Johnson On The Tonight Show

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:43:00 +0000

Happy Birthday Junior!

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:08:00 +0000

NASCAR shrinks restrictor plates at Talladega

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:04:00 +0000

FONTANA, Calif. (AP)—NASCAR is reducing the size of the restrictor plates used by Sprint Cup cars at Talladega in hopes of making it safer for drivers.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said the move will reduce horsepower and take a little bit of top-end speed off the cars.

The track announced earlier this week it is raising the fence at the massive 2.66-mile oval from 14 to 22 feet following a safety analysis after Carl Edwards’ last-lap crash during the spring race sent him flying into the fence.

Debris from the accident injured seven fans in the stands, the most serious a broken jaw suffered by a teenage girl.

The frontstretch fence at Talladega will be raised before the Nov. 1 race, and the backstretch will be completed during the offseason. Daytona will have its fences raised before its first big event in January.

Personal Note: I'm thinking of driving my Ford Escape in Dega and Daytona races because NASCAR is slowing the cars down so much, I would have no problem keeping up with the field. Pfft...NASCAR just wants to ruin everything, no wonder they are losing a lot of fans.

Bill France’s grandson arrested on drug charges

noreply@blogger.com (Antonette) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:13:00 +0000

MIAMI (AP)—A grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France was arrested early Thursday on drug charges in Daytona Beach, according to a police report.

J.C. France faces charges of possession of narcotics and driving under the influence. France posted $4,500 bond and was released from Volusia County jail Thursday afternoon.

France, 43, was driving a 2007 green Lamborghini when he was stopped shortly after midnight Thursday. Authorities believe he was racing his half brother, 40-year-old Russell Van Richmond. France failed to stop at a traffic light and swerved on the roadway before coming to a stop in a parking lot.

Richmond, who was driving a 2003 Porsche when he was stopped, reportedly threatened the officer during the arrest.

“No, this is a mistake for you,” he told the officer, according to the report. “I’m a France, we own this city.”

Authorities continued with the investigation, and Richmond called for their commanding officers.

“You’re done,” he reportedly told an officer. “Your job is over. This is the biggest mistake ever and your (sic) so done in Daytona.”

While conducting a search during the traffic stop, authorities found containers with a “white cakelike substance.” The substances gave a presumptive positive reactions for cocaine when they were tested.

Richmond faces two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, driving under the influence and two counts of threatening a police officer. He posted $10,500 bond and was released from custody Thursday.

France is the son of NASCAR board member Jim France and a driver in NASCAR’s Grand-Am Series. Richmond is the son of Jim France’s ex-wife. The two share a home in Daytona Beach, according to the police report. A telephone number listed for Richmond rang unanswered Thursday evening. A man who answered the phone at a number listed for France said he was not available.

NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston released a statement saying France has been suspended from all competition.

“Grand-Am has issued a penalty notice and suspended J.C. indefinitely from all competition for actions detrimental to racing,” Poston said. “The penalty is not appealable. J.C. is being treated like any other competitor. His suspension is immediate and indefinite.”

AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer in Charlotte, N.C., contributed to this report.