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NASCAR issues some rules changes: NASCAR issued a bulletin to Sprint Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck teams with changes to the rule book Wednesday. Among the changes is a rule the requires a driver, crew chief and spotter to have radio communication, a new single rear-end differential assembly rule and a single transmission rule. Previously, teams could change as many gears as they wanted but they had to be the right ratio. Now, a single rear end differential assembly rule will be enforced at all events except at Martinsville Speedway, road course events, the Daytona 500, the Sprint Showdown and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race. Martinsville and road courses are hard on gears. Because of the number of events leading up to the Daytona 500, teams can make a change. It's also easy to break a gear in All-Star qualifying. This rule should eliminate qualifying gears. NASCAR formalized that a driver, crew chief and spotter must be able to communicate on the radio during an event. NASCAR stated that effective Jan. 1, 2016 teams will be permitted only one transmission change after qualifying and before the race for events at Pocono Raceway and road course events. Other changes included adding the new qualifying format for super speedways previously announced and other technical updates.(NBC Sports)(4-23-2015)

Still no date set for RCR appeal: No date has been set for Richard Childress Racing's final appeal of penalties levied against the #31 team of Ryan Newman, NASCAR spokesman Kurt Culbert told USA TODAY Sports. RCR succeeded in convincing a three-person appeals board to reduce some penalties stemming from a tire-manipulation allegation at Fontana, Calif., but a six-week suspension for crew chief Luke Lambert, engineer Philip Surgen and tire specialist James Bender was upheld. Lambert returned to the pit box at Bristol Motor Speedway this past weekend as allowed by terms of the appeals process. Final Appeals Officer Bryan Moss will hear the case.(USA Today)(4-23-2015)