RCR appeals Newman penalties to highest level

Associated Press

BRISTOL, Tenn.

Richard Childress Racing appealed NASCAR’s penalties against Ryan Newman’s team to the highest level on Friday, and crew chief Luke Lambert was eligible to return to work at Bristol Motor Speedway.

RCR made the move a day after losing its bid to overturn penalties levied against Newman’s team for allegedly manipulating tires at a race last month at California. Although a three-person appeals panel reduced some of the sanctions, the six-week suspensions for crew chief Luke Lambert and two other team members were upheld.

RCR sent Todd Parrott to Bristol on Friday as interim crew chief for Newman, but the decision to take the case to Final Appeals Officer Bryan Moss means Lambert and the two suspended crew members can work this weekend.

There was no immediate word from RCR if Lambert will direct Newman on Sunday, or if engineer Philip Surgen and tire specialist James Bender would return to work.

Moss has not set a date to hear the case and has deferred the suspensions. Lambert missed practice and qualifying Friday.

RCR’s decision to appeal could backfire: Moss, a former Gulfstream executive, could reinstate the original penalties.

The appeals panel reduced the points penalty to Newman and the team from 75 to 50 points and Lambert’s fine from $125,000 to $75,000.

Unsure how the appeal process would go, RCR had the foresight to send an interim crew chief to a test session this week with Newman. As the team debated on whether it wanted to appeal further, it sent Parrott to Bristol on Friday in Lambert’s place.

Parrott, who is RCR’s director of competition for the second-tier Xfinity Series, gathered the crew in the team truck for a pep talk in Kentucky in case the Thursday appeal was unsuccessful.

“I sat them down up in the lounge of the truck and I said, ‘I’m not sure what is going to happen, but if it does happen and I do get the call to go to Bristol and work with you guys, is there anything you need from me? What do you want? What do you like?”’ Parrott said Friday at Bristol.