JOLIET, ILL. - Dale Earnhardt Inc. has decided to appeal the penalties issued this week to its No. 1 Chevrolet Sprint Cup team, NASCAR officials confirmed Thursday.

The filing of the appeal with the National Stock Car Racing Commission allows crew chief Kevin Manion to continue to work with the team until the appeal is heard.

Manion and car chief Gary Putnam were suspended for six races each after the No. 1 failed pre-qualifying inspection last week at Daytona. Manion was fined $100,000, and driver Martin Truex Jr. and car owner Teresa Earnhardt each was docked 150 points.

The points penalty dropped Truex Jr. from 14th to 18th in the series standings and leaves him 238 points out of the top 12. The top 12 drivers after 26 races qualify for the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup.

PENSKE HONORS TEAMMATE: All three Penske Sprint Cup cars will carry a decal this weekend in memory of Bill Passwater, the transportation coordinator for Penske's Cup teams, who died Wednesday. He was 33.

He is survived by his wife, Heather, and daughter, Lyla Grace. Passwater was a close friend of Penske driver Ryan Newman. The two attended high school together in South Bend, Ind.

DODGE ENGINE PROGRESSING: Dodge officials said their work on a new engine for the Sprint Cup Series is on schedule, and they hope to see some used at tracks this season.

Tommy Wheeler, engineering services director for Gillett Evernham Motorsports, said there was difficulty in changing the current engine with the new one on a week-to-week basis.

"We don't have the option of racing at Charlotte in October and then the very next week not racing it with the same car," he said.