NASCAR penalizes top teams shortly before Talladega race

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — The four Joe Gibbs Racing cars and both Roush Fenway rides will start at the rear at Talladega Superspeedway.

NASCAR announced less than two hours before Sunday’s Cup series race that they were among eight penalized for unapproved adjustments.

That includes points leader Kyle Busch, Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones from Joe Gibbs Racing. Roush Fenway’s Ryan Newman and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also were penalized, along with Reed Sorenson and Cody Ware.

The race already has plenty of intrigue and potential for mayhem. NASCAR has replaced the restrictor plates that had sapped horsepower at the Talladega and Daytona superspeedways with tapered spacers. The change created some added uncertainty to what drivers and fans can expect from the race.

Austin Dillon starts on the pole in the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet.