PAUL MENARD, MORE RECEIVE WARNINGS POST-CHARLOTTE

NASCAR gave warnings to several Sprint Cup Series teams for failing either laser inspection station or template inspection during last weekend's on-track action atCharlotte Motor Speedway for the Bank of America 500, including the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing team for driver Paul Menard.


The No. 27 team failed pre-qualifying LIS three times, resulting in a written warning and a loss of 15 minutes of practice time for this weekend at Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400 (2:15 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). 


The No. 30 team of Josh Wise received a written warning and 15-minute loss of practice time, as well, after failing pre-qualifying template inspection three times. 


The No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing team ofTrevor Bayne, the No. 7 Tommy Baldwin Racing team of Regan Smith, the No. 20Joe Gibbs Racing team of Matt Kenseth, the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing team ofKurt Busch, the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team of Kyle Larson, the No. 78Furniture Row Racing team of Martin Truex Jr., and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team of Alex Bowman all received written warnings for failing pre-race template inspection twice.

The No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing team ofRicky Stenhouse Jr., the No. 20 of Kenseth, the No. 23 BK Racing team of David Ragan, the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team ofChase Elliott, the No. 31 RCR team of Ryan Newman, the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports team of Chris Buescher and the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team of Aric Almirola all received written warnings after failing pre-qualifying LIS inspection twice. 


Stewart Haas Racing's Nos. 4, 10 and 14 teams -- wheeled by Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick, and Tony Stewart, respectively -- failed pre-qualifying template inspection twice and received written warnings along with the No. 88 HMS team -- driven Charlotte weekend by Alex Bowman.

Both Newman and Patrick served their respective penalties in Charlotte. 

The No. 3 RCR team of Ty Dillon was the sole XFINITY Series team to receive a written warning after failing pre-race LIS twice. 

Ryan Newman to remain at Richard Childress Racing with multi-year extension

Ryan Newman will return to Richard Childress Racing next season with a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Monday.

“Ryan’s consistency on the track has been a benefit to our organization and this extension solidifies the future of our racing program,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of RCR, in a news release. “Ryan proved the first year he was here that we could contend for championships and with this continuation, I believe we can fulfill our commitment to winning races and a championship. Ryan has worked hard to represent many of our partners, especially the primary sponsors Caterpillar, Grainger and WIX Filters, helping them to get the most out of their respective racing programs.”

Newman’s contract was to have ended after this season, his third with RCR.

“I am pleased to continue driving for Richard Childress Racing,” Newman said in a team release. “Our goal to win a championship all but turned into a reality during our first year together. I feel like since then, we have some unfinished business to complete. I’m fortunate to have forged a great relationship with my crew chief Luke Lambert, and I very much want to not only help him reach our goal of winning a Cup championship but also getting him his first Cup victory.” 

Newman finished second in the points in 2014, his first season at Richard Childress Racing. He made the Chase in 2015 and placed 11th. He failed to make the Chase this year.

Newman placed fourth in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It marked his second top-five finish and ninth top-10 result of the season.

With Newman staying, it likely means that Ty Dillon, who has said that he plans to race in the Sprint Cup Series next season, won’t be driving in NASCAR’s top series for grandfather Richard Childress’ team.

Childress, who will have Austin Dillon, Paul Menard and Newman drive for him next season, has three charters. It’s unlikely that Childress would run a fourth car without a charter. Although he could lease or buy a charter, a more likely option could be to have Ty Dillon drive for another Chevrolet team next season.

FOUR TEAMS SET FOR GOODYEAR TIRE TEST AT MARTINSVILLE

Four NASCAR teams will converge Tuesday and Wednesday for a Goodyear tire test at Martinsville Speedway, the lone short track left on the Sprint Cup Series schedule.

The four teams invited will help confirm the tire compound for the Oct. 30 Goody's Fast Relief 500, the seventh event in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs. Those participating at the .526-mile track are:

The Chip Ganassi Racing No. 1 Chevrolet with driver Jamie McMurray
The Roush Fenway Racing No. 16 Ford with driver Greg Biffle
The Richard Childress Racing No. 27 Chevrolet with driver Paul Menard
The Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota with driver Martin Truex Jr.

Two tests remain on the Sprint Cup schedule for the rest of the year.

Another Goodyear tire test is scheduled at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 17, the day after the 1.5-mile track completes its second NASCAR weekend of the year. NASCAR is also scheduled to conduct an organizational test Oct. 18-19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, site of the season finales for all three national series as part of Ford Championship Weekend.

Today’s Xfinity race at Indianapolis: start time, weather, TV/radio info and lineup

Today’s Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway features the final Xfinity Dash 4 Cash event of the season. That means heat races. Each heat race will be 20 laps, followed by the main event, which will be 60 laps.

Here’s all the info you need for today’s race.

(All times are Eastern)

START: Rudy Juarez, a Lilly Diabetes guest, will give the command 15 minutes after the second heat race ends. The green flag will wave eight minutes after the command.

DISTANCE: The race is scheduled for 60 laps (150 miles) around the 2.5-mile speedway.

HEAT RACES: The first heat race is scheduled to take the green flag at 3:45 p.m. The second heat race is scheduled to take the green flag 23 minutes after the completion of the first heat race. Both heat races are 20 laps (50 miles) around the 2.5-mile speedway.

PRERACE SCHEDULE: The Xfinity garage opens at 7 a.m. The driver/crew chief meeting is at 1:20 p.m. Driver introductions are at 3 p.m.

NATIONAL ANTHEM: Country music artist Amanda Jo will perform the anthem at 3:31 p.m.

TV/RADIO: NBCSN will broadcast the race with its coverage beginning at 3 p.m. with Countdown to Green. Performance Racing Network’s radio broadcast begins at 8 p.m. and also can be heard at goprn.com. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have PRN’s broadcast.

FORECAST: The wunderground.com site predicts a temperature of 90 degrees at race time with a 6 percent chance of thunderstorms.

LAST TIME: Kyle Busch passed Ryan Blaney on the last lap when Blaney was slowed by a lapped car. Blaney finished second with Daniel Suarez third, Paul Menard fourth and Elliott Sadler fifth.

STARTING LINEUP: Qualifying at 11:40 a.m.

Ben Kennedy sponsored by Wheelwell for Iowa truck race; making Xfinity debut

Ben Kennedy‘s No. 33 Truck will have a new primary sponsor for this weekend’s Speediatrics 200 at Iowa Speedway.

Kennedy, who will be in his fifth race with GMS racing, will be sponsored by Wheelwell, a San Francisco-based website that “brings together automotive enthusiasts, service professionals and brands in a uniquely visual way that enables consumers to find the very best products for their cars.”

Kennedy is currently ninth in the Camping World Truck Series point standings following a fourth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway. It was Kennedy’s first top five and his second top-10 finish of the season. Kennedy’s best result in three starts a Iowa is sixth in 2014.

“I am looking forward to introducing Wheelwell to millions of NASCAR fans and fellow car enthusiasts,” said Kennedy. “Like many others in the racing community, I have a few ongoing vehicle projects and Wheelwell.com allows me to keep organized, seek help and learn from other members who are building, restoring or enhancing their vehicles.”

Wheelwell joins JACOB Companies and Weber Grills in sponsoring the No. 33 since Kennedy signed with GMS Racing in May.

Kennedy will also make his Xfinity Series debut this weekend, driving the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. The No. 2 is the car usually driven by Austin Dillonor Paul Menard.

“I’m really looking forward to practice on Friday,” Kennedy said in a press release. “It’s been a little while since I’ve been behind the wheel of a car. I’m used to racing trucks, but I’ve spent some time with (crew chief) Danny (Stockman) and the guys this week getting the car ready and it makes me confident we’ll roll off the truck fast.”

Sam Hornish Jr., AJ Allmendinger among four who will drive RCR’s No. 2 Xfinity car in five races

Richard Childress Racing announced Wednesday four drivers who will pilot its No. 2 Chevrolet in select Xfinity Series races in the place of Austin Dillon and Paul Menard.

Sam Hornish Jr., AJ Allmendinger, Ben Kennedy and Michael McDowell will split time in the car for five races.

Hornish, who hasn’t raced since the 2015 Sprint Cup finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, will drive the No. 2 car for two races – the July 30 event at Iowa Speedway and at Kentucky Speedway on Sept. 24.

Hornish spent 2015 driving full-time for Richard Petty Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series before being replaced by Brian Scott. The 2006 Indianapolis 500 winner has three Xfinity Series wins, the most recent coming at Iowa in 2014.

MORE: Sam Hornish Jr.’s Alaska adventure

Allmendinger, who drives for JTG-Daugherty Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, will step into the No. 2 for the Aug. 13 race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. That weekend is an off week for the Cup series.

Allmendinger has two Xfinity Series wins. Both came in 2014, including one at Mid-Ohio.

Kennedy, who drives full-time in the Camping World Truck Series, will make his Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway on June 19. Kennedy has made three starts at Iowa in the Truck series and has one top-10 finish.

McDowell, who competes full-time in Sprint Cup for Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing, will make his first start in Xfinity since 2014 at Road America on Aug. 27. McDowell will seek to defend the No. 2 team’s win at the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, road course in 2015 with Menard.

McDowell has 12 road course starts in the Xfinity Series, earning three top fives and five top-10 finishes with two pole awards.

Dillon and Menard will split time in the No. 2 for the rest of the season.

Fog, rain limit number of cars on track in first Sprint Cup practice at Pocono

Fog and then light rain impacted Friday’s lone Sprint Cup practice session at Pocono Raceway.

Twenty-eight of 40 cars took to the track before rain shortened the session. That means if Sprint Cup qualifying later today also is impacted by weather, the starting field would not be set by practice speeds.

The first of two scheduled Xfinity Series practice sessions also was impacted by rain and did not start as scheduled at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Carl Edwards was the fastest of the drivers who practiced with a speed of 179.802 mph. Kevin Harvick was second fastest (178.827 mph), followed by Kurt Busch (178.649), Paul Menard (178.250) and Kyle Busch (178.193).

Track dryers are on the 2.5-mile tri-oval, attempting to dry the racing surface.

Additional rain is in the forecast for today, which could play havoc with the second scheduled Xfinity Series practice (3 – 3:55 p.m. ET), as well as Sprint Cup qualifying, scheduled for 4:15 p.m. ET.

Here’s how the abbreviated first practice session played out:

Matt Kenseth’s team receives third written warning; Paul Menard to miss practice time

Among the warnings given to Sprint Cup teams last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the team of Matt Kenseth received its third. The No. 20 failed pre-qualifying laser inspection twice.

If a team receives a fourth warning, it loses pit selection.

The No. 27 of Paul Menard received its second warning for failing pre-qualifying template inspection three times. Menard will lose 15 minutes of practice time at Pocono Raceway.

Aric Almirola, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson lost pit selection for the Coke 600 after they received their fourth warnings prior to the qualifying for the race.