NASCAR Cup Series

Date set for RCR's final appeal to NASCAR on tire penalty

Published Apr. 24, 2015 9:17 a.m. ET

foxsports

Richard Childress Racing's final appeal of penalties to Ryan Newman and his No. 31 RCR team will be heard the morning of May 6 at the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, NASCAR confirmed Friday.

On April 16, a NASCAR appeals panel upheld a penalty against Newman and RCR for intentionally manipulating the tires on Newman's car in a race last month at Auto Club Speedway.

The three-panel National Motorsports Appeals Panel reduced the amount of points deducted from car owner Richard Childress and Newman from 75 to 50 on Thursday. The original $125,000 fine against crew chief Luke Lambert was cut to $75,000.

However, the six-race suspensions against Lambert, tire technician James Bender and race engineer Philip Surgen were upheld.

Lambert's suspension has been deferred until after the final appeal to Final Appeals Officer Bryan Moss, which means the crew chief will remain atop Newman's pit box through at least next weekend's race at Talladega.

NASCAR seized tires from four teams after the March 22 race in California amid speculation that crews were poking holes in tires to allow air to escape during a race. The process is known as "bleeding tires" and NASCAR warned crew chiefs about the penalties that would be levied against any team caught.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.