NASCAR issues warnings to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team, 3 non-Chasers

NASCAR handed out warnings to teams Wednesday afternoon for issues discovered in technical inspection last weekend at Kansas Speedway, where the Sprint Cup Series competed in Race No. 2 of three in the Chase Contender Round.

Of the four teams issued a warning, only one -- the Hendrick Motorsports team of driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- is in the Chase.

Earnhardt's No. 88 group received its warning for twice failing pre-race inspection for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400.

The non-Chase team of driver Alex Bowman was given a warning for likewise flunking pre-race inspection twice.

The No. 83 team of driver Matt DiBenedetto, meanwhile, was given a warning for failing pre-qualifying inspection twice at Kansas.

The No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team of part-time Sprint Cup driver Ryan Blaney was hit with a warning for failing to comply with Section 10.7.2.b of the NASCAR rulebook -- not following a NASCAR directive by having covers over some of their suspension parts in the garage.

This is the second consecutive week that NASCAR has issued a written warning to the teams of Earnhardt and Blaney.

In streamlining its warning system back in August, NASCAR ruled that every fourth warning a team receives would result in automatic loss of pit selection at the next event.

For a look at all the other warnings and penalties issued to teams since the start of the Chase, click here.