NASCAR ROUNDUP \ News and notes

Kyle Busch’s crew chief penalized: NASCAR announced Wednesday that the sanctioning body has fined Mike Bumgarner, crew chief of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Busch Series car, $10,000 for unauthorized modifications to the intake manifold of Busch's Chevrolet. NASCAR confiscated the manifold Saturday, after Busch won the Yellow Transportation 300 Busch Series race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. After examining the part at its research and development center in Concord, N.C., NASCAR levied the fine for unauthorized modifications to the plenum area (the chamber that restrains the fuel/air mixture).

M&M’s to sponsor Kyle Busch in 2008: Beginning with the 2008 season, M&M’s brand chocolate candies will sponsor the No. 18 Toyota Camry driven by Kyle Busch in the Sprint Cup Series. Candy maker U.S. Mars announced Wednesday at M&M’s World in New York City’s Times Square a three-year deal with Joe Gibbs Racing, in which Mars brands will serve as Busch’s primary sponsor for 30 Sprint Cup points races next year. In addition to M&M’s, Snickers and Pedigree will occupy the primary position for several races. Interstate Batteries, longtime sponsor of the No. 18 car, will continue its relationship with JGR as primary sponsor for six points races. Mars products Combos, Twix, Skittles, Starburst and Milky Way will provide support as associate sponsors. The new sponsorship accompanies Gibbs’ switch from Chevrolet to Toyota next year. Busch, who qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup for the second straight year, will leave Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season to drive for Gibbs in 2008. The Gibbs announcement also means that Yates Racing will be looking for sponsorship for both its Fords in 2008. M&M’s currently sponsors the No. 38 car driven by David Gilliland and Snickers the No. 88 of driver Ricky Rudd.

Riggs hired by Haas CNC: Scott Riggs was hired Wednesday to drive for Haas CNC Racing, in a car to be determined later. Riggs will replace Jeff Green in the No. 66 or Johnny Sauter in the No. 70, the team said. Riggs joined Evernham Motorsports last season in the No. 10 Dodge. He’s had a rough season, though, and has failed to qualify for six of 29 races. Riggs, who finished 13th at the Kansas Speedway on Sunday, is 36th in the points. He’s been in a holding pattern since Evernham sold majority ownership of his team to George Gillett Jr., because the team also explored a possible merger with Petty Enterprises. If it happened, the No. 10 would go away. If the team fields that car next season, David Stremme is a candidate to replace Riggs. He lost his ride at Chip Ganassi Racing on Wednesday when Dario Franchitti was hired to drive Stremme’s car.

Combined dispatches