NASCAR Frustrating season results in changes for Haas CNC Racing

John Andretti will be the team's driver for at least the next two races.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HARRISBURG, N.C. -- Haas CNC Racing changed drivers Wednesday, replacing rookie Jack Sprague with John Andretti.
Fired last month by Petty Enterprises, Andretti will be in the car for at least the next two races, starting Sunday in Loudon, N.H.
"We are thrilled that there was someone available to us of John Andretti's caliber, with his vast amount of Winston Cup experience," general manager Joe Custer said.
But Custer did not commit to Andretti beyond the event July 27 at Pocono Raceway.
"We'll evaluate how things are going and move forward from there," he said.
Sprague, a three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck series champion, failed to finish better than 14th in 18 starts this season. He was 37th in the points.
"Gene Haas gave me a great opportunity to move into the Winston Cup Series this season," Sprague said. "Unfortunately, being a rookie team with a rookie owner, rookie crew chief and a rookie driver, and not having a great deal of Winston Cup knowledge, we started off behind the eight ball ... and never really got a handle on it.
"After eight years of winning races and championships, this year has been very frustrating for me, and I'm sure it has been equally as frustrating for them. That said, we decided to part ways and try to find success apart."
Andretti has been racing full-time in Winston Cup since 1994, with four poles and two victories.
The driver will rejoin crew chief Tony Furr, who was working with Andretti when he won at Daytona in July 1997.
Harvick, crew chief penalized
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR penalized driver Kevin Harvick, crew chief Todd Berrier and team owner Richard Childress on Wednesday for an unapproved part discovered before the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
During the pre-race inspection on Sunday, NASCAR officials found that the rear suspension of the No. 29 Chevrolet driven by Harvick had "an unapproved travel limiting device."
Harvick lost 25 championship points, Childress lost 25 championship owner points, and Berrier was fined $25,000.
The penalty did not affect Harvick's seventh-place standing in points, but it did move eighth-place Tony Stewart -- the defending Winston Cup champion -- to within 12 points.
Fedewa signs with FitzBradshaw
Tim Fedewa will move from the spotter's stand to the driver's seat for FitzBradshaw Racing, replacing Kerry Earnhardt, beginning with Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series race in Loudon, N.H.
Earnhardt, son of seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt and half brother of current Cup star Dale Earnhardt Jr., was 17th in the Busch Series points.
"It's our desire to field the best teams on the track; it is a commitment we make to ourselves and to our sponsors," team co-owner Armando Fitz said. "Kerry has proven he is a strong driver; he has driven up front, but the team is simply not gelling right now. And if we want to win, we need to gel."
The team's other owner is pro football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw.
Earnhardt has driven the No. 12 FitzBradshaw Chevrolet since the start of the 2002 season.
Fedewa, who has four career wins in the Busch Series, has been acting as the spotter for Earnhardt.
"Tim Fedewa, we think, is the right choice for the team at this time," Fitz said. "He has won races, so he understands what it takes to grab a checkered flag at this level.
"We haven't made an exact determination of how long Fedewa will be in the seat. That depends on the level of success we achieve and how we ultimately evaluate how we can best use our driving talent."