Crew chief Parrott released from Richard Petty Motorsports

Concord, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Richard Petty Motorsports revealed on Tuesday that crew chief Todd Parrott is no longer with the team after he was indefinitely suspended for violating NASCAR's substance abuse policy.

Greg Ebert will serve as the interim crew chief for RPM's No. 43 Ford, driven by Aric Almirola, beginning with this weekend's race at Martinsville Speedway. Ebert had been in the role of car chief for team. He spent nine years at Roush Fenway Racing, serving his last five seasons there as the car chief for Matt Kenseth's team.

"We are confident in Greg's leadership abilities, and we will give him the resources he needs to be successful," Sammy Johns, RPM's vice president of operations and competition, said in a team statement. "He is very familiar with our race program and gives us a more seamless transition. More importantly, he gives Aric the best opportunity to finish the season strong."

NASCAR placed Parrott on suspension last Thursday. He had been Almirola's crew chief since September 2012. In 1999, Parrott won the Cup Series championship with driver Dale Jarrett when they were both at Robert Yates Racing. Parrott also guided Jarrett to victories in the Daytona 500 in 1996 and 2000.