MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Red Bull Racing has swapped the crew chiefs and key team members for drivers Scott Speed and Casey Mears.

The swap comes two days after Mears and Speed finished 29th and 30th in the Coca-Cola 600.

Ryan Pemberton will begin working with Speed this weekend at Pocono. Jimmy Elledge will take over Mears’ team.

Pemberton has been crew chief for the No. 83 team since the start of last season. Driver Brian Vickers recently announced he will miss the remainder of the season while undergoing treatment on blood clots in his lungs and legs, and Mears has replaced him.

Elledge joined Red Bull in 2008 after five years with Chip Ganassi Racing. He was crew chief for Mears during their time at Ganassi.

Drivers get a glimpse

of safer Watkins Glen

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, and Marcos Ambrose have completed the first half of a two-day tire test at Watkins Glen International, which has been altered to improve safety.

After rain prevented the drivers from the Goodyear tire test Tuesday morning, all three drivers spent four hours in the afternoon traversing the 2.4-mile layout.

The changes at Watkins Glen include the removal of gravel traps and grass, the installation of a SAFER — Steel and Foam Energy Reduction — barriers, and relocated guard rails.

The renovation project affects all series that race on the circuit and includes improvements to the inner loop and turns 9-11.

The drivers are scheduled to be back on the track Wednesday for more testing.

Former team owner Richard Jackson dies

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Richard Jackson, who fielded cars in NASCAR’s top two levels for 26 years, has died. He was 74.

Jackson formed Precision Products Racing with his brother, Leo Jackson Jr., in 1974. Bob Pressley drove for the team in what was the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division.

The team made its Cup debut in 1981 with Dave Marcis at Darlington. Its drivers over the years included Benny Parsons, Harry Gant and Phil Parsons.

Phil Parsons won the first race for the team in 1988 at Talladega.

Richard Jackson formed Richard Jackson Motorsports in 1990, and its drivers included Rick Mast, Terry Labonte, Jerry Nadeau, Morgan Shepherd and Lance Hooper.

The team ran until 2001.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday in Asheville.

The 56-year-old San Clemente man complained of chest pains and was briefly hospitalized before being returned to jail. Bail was set at $1 million. It wasn’t immediately known if he had a lawyer.

The arrest came less than five hours after Neal, who was a NASCAR driver in Gardena in the early 1980s, completed his sentence for evading authorities and driving recklessly on May 17.