Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site - NASCAR News/Rules/Rumors

CURRENT MISC NASCAR INFO/RULES
news and rumors

See my NASCAR Official Sponsor News page for info
on RJR leaving and Sprint/Nextel as the new series sponsor
plus other NASCAR Official Sponsors news/rumors

How can someone get a NASCAR Sprint Cup Rules Book?
You Can't. Only teams, drivers, NASCAR Officials can get a Sprint Cup rules book.
NASCAR does not sell them and I can't get them for anyone.
You can join NASCAR, last I heard it was in the mid hundreds of dollars
per legal reasons, I could not post the rules book (or parts of) even if I had one
to contact NASCAR, see my RacingFAQ page

What causes a driver or team to have to start the race at the rear of the field:
ENGINE CHANGE - anytime during the race weekend [except the Daytona 500, teams can change once after the Gatorade Duel 150's]
BACKUP CAR - after qualifying, if a team/driver goes to a backup car, they start at the rear of the field; if before qualifying and the backup car and engine are presented for inspection, the driver starts where they qualify.
TRANSMISSION CHANGE - anytime during the race weekend [except the road courses, new in 2009]
DRIVER CHANGE - once the car is qualified, if the driver changes, then the driver/car will start at the end of the field before the green flag.

France happy with double-file restarts, NASCAR overall: NASCAR Chairman Brian France praised the success of double-file restarts and reiterated his stance that the sport remains healthy despite the headaches of a sagging economy. France, speaking to reporters Friday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway, said double-file restarts "clearly are putting a nice energy around the events," which are producing "fantastic" racing overall. He said NASCAR remains the No. 1 or No. 2 most-viewed and most popular sport on any given weekend, which means that despite the economic downturn, "lots of people would like to have our problems." France said the product on the track is the "most important thing," and to that end NASCAR continues to evaluate possible adjustments - which he termed as minor changes - to its new model car. France repeated his comments from last month at Michigan, when he noted that other manufacturers may be interested in joining the sport. But he said nothing was imminent. Regarding the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series, France said both were "relatively healthy" despite reduced manufacturer support and the economy in general.(SceneDaily)(7-4-2009) Comment here

NASCAR: Truck Series Safe: Despite reports from independent blogger Mike Mulhern, NASCAR Vice President of Communications Jim Hunter says emphatically that there is no validity to a story circulating that the Camping World Truck Series will shut down. "There's no truth to it whatsoever," Hunter said. "It's total B.S. The demise of the truck series is the figment of one person's imagination. (Mulhern) has a history of fabricating false stories and this is another example of it. We're very aware that (the Camping World Truck Series) is affected the hardest during this economic recession. We're currently looking at options. We've never given up on a series and we're not going to start now." That said, NASCAR is looking at options to reduce costs such as decreasing the schedule, increasing the number of single-day dates and bringing back the half-time pit stops that could eliminate the traveling crews to five or six members. One possible solution that is off the table is the use of crate engines. NASCAR VP of Competition Robin Pemberton said they are not a viable option because "they're not durable to last much beyond one race" which would raise costs, not lower them. Pemberton feels the sanctioning body has made "good gains with new rules and regulations" and the series "still makes sense."(FoxSports)(6-30-2009)

NASCAR talking to other manufacturers: NASCAR continues to have contact with foreign-based carmakers who are not yet involved in stock car racing but have manufacturing plants in the United States and may want to market through NASCAR, sanctioning body chairman Brian France said Sunday. "Clearly there are some companies that are going to look at opportunities that may not have been there in the past," France said. Of NASCAR's four current manufacturers, Chrysler and General Motors are in bankruptcy and Ford has reduced its expenditures on racing. Toyota, though its worldwide passenger car sales have been lagging, stands now as the strongest supporter of NASCAR among manufacturers. But other brands could help fill the void if the traditional American carmakers should weaken further and reduce if not eliminate their NASCAR participation. "We have companies that are interested in particular in developing the North American market as robustly as they can," France said. "And we're all aware that there are lots of foreign manufacturers producing cars here in America. That was part of the rationale that Toyota used" to get involved in NASCAR. Other such companies with U.S. plants include Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. But, "I'm not going to name names," France said. "We have been talking to people off and on for a long time. These are decisions, in terms of new manufacturers joining the sport, that will take a long time to evaluate and actually enter. So this isn't something that if we turn the light switch on tomorrow morning it would happen. But of course, we're the preeminent place in America for car manufacturers to build their businesses with an auto racing group. We remain that."(ESPN.com)(6-15-2009) Comment here

"Sportier" COT on the way? Manufacturers reportedly poured more than a half-billion dollars into the sport last year through factory and technical support to the teams, track support, vehicle programs and advertising. Yet NASCAR turned its back on Detroit with each generation of its race car as it morphed further away from what was on the showroom floor. Yes, the new Sprint Cup car has proved to be safer. After the initial blow of scrapping entire fleets of the old car, the new model will be more cost efficient. The level of competition with the new car — at tracks other than intermediate and two-mile venues — has picked up considerably. But the majority of core NASCAR fans have never embraced this car. The evidence of their displeasure can be measured in the dramatic drop in attendance, souvenir sales and television ratings, all of which started long before the economy tanked. Now NASCAR is feeling a similar pain in its pocketbook. And the sanctioning body is responding by offering an olive branch in the form of a sleeker, sexy race car to entice the fans back to the stands. A car, which will hopefully revive the "Win on Sunday, buy on Monday" mentality with fans so automakers and sponsors can continue to enjoy a return on investment in the sport. Rather than admitting their mistake in the Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR will begin filtering elements of the Nationwide cars back to the Cup model. The cockpit is expected to remain the same to maintain the integrity of the safer vehicle but the car will take on a sportier appearance.(FoxSports)(6-15-2009) Comment here

NASCAR Tree-Planting Program To Capture Carbon Emissions: NASCAR announced “NASCAR Green Clean Air” – a program to help capture the carbon emissions produced by racing. Under a pilot program that will expand significantly next year, NASCAR will plant ten new trees for each green flag that drops during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events. The tracks participating in the tree-planting program – eleven this year and every venue visited by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2010 – will mitigate 100% of the carbon emissions produced by the race cars competing in their Sprint Cup Series events. Over time, rolled out across all three national series, NASCAR and its partners will be planting approximately 20 acres of new trees each year. Michigan International Speedway, which is at the forefront of green initiatives, is matching the carbon-capturing planting effort at its track. A tree stores approximately one ton of CO2 over its lifetime, which means that the entire CO2 emissions from a typical race will be offset during this time.(NASCAR PR)(6-13-2009)

NASCAR’s Robin Pemberton explains new restart rules: NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton gave an explanation Friday of the new double-file restart rules. Here are excerpts of the conversation with the media and his answers to some questions ask.
SD: What is the procedure for double-file restarts?
Pemberton: “When the caution comes out, the field will be frozen as it is today. The free-pass car will be identified as it is today and it will be the same format. As the cars are gathered behind the pace car, the pit road is opened for leaders, the second time by it will be open for the lap-down cars, and that is how it is today. And when we come to the one [lap]-to-go [until the green drops], the cars that have elected not to pit that are lap-down cars that will be in front of the lead-lap cars that have pitted, will be waved around to join the field at the tail end. The lineup will be on the double-file restart, lead-lap cars to the front, lap-down cars, … then it will be the free-pass car, then it will be the cars that have been waved around and then it will be the penalty cars.
SD: If a guy on the lead lap opts not to pit, he’s the leader?
Pemberton: Correct. Still P1 [the leader].
SD: Is there an option for the lead car to select which lane?
Pemberton: When we give the 1-to-go, the leader throughout the entire race will get lane choice, high or low. He has to make that choice when we come to the 1-to-go at the stripe. One other thing we have added is the free pass will take place from start to finish throughout the entire race.
SD: If a car on the lead lap pits a second time with the lap-down cars, does he restart with the lap-down cars?
Pemberton: He will start in his respective track position how he came off of pit road. If you have a lead-lap car who makes multiple pit stops to work on his car, he is not in that lead-lap group that pitted that first-time by. He’ll be scored where he comes off pit road [with lapped cars]
SD: The lap-down cars that don’t pit and the get the wave around the leader, do they get to come all the way around to rear of the field?
Pemberton: That’s correct but they will not be able to hit pit road for tires and fuel. Pit road won’t be closed but they will forfeit their wave-around status if they hit pit road for tires and fuel.
SD: At tracks like Martinsville and Bristol and you’re waiting for the 1-to-go, are you anticipating that the wave around could be hard to be completed?
Pemberton: There could be issues. Every track has its different set of challenges. We’ll have to address those when we get to them. The whole field will be double file so they won’t be as strung out.
SD: If multiple lead-lap cars stay out, do the lap-down cars that don’t pit still get waved around?
Pemberton: The only way you can be waved around is if you are between the leader and the pace car. As pit stops take place, you need to be in front of the lead-lap cars. You get waved around regardless if you’re one or two or three laps down [or more].
SD: Are you going to use double-file restarts throughout the race for every race?
Pemberton: Yes.
SD: It was said that Trucks and Nationwide will use it later this year? Any timetable?
Pemberton: It’s just later. We need to work through some of these details here. We’ve got three races in three different states [this weekend]. We want to make sure we concentrate on this [in Cup] and get everything as right as we can.(SceneDaily)(6-7-2009)

Changes coming to improve the car-of-tomorrow? Drivers says NASCAR officials are telling them now changes are coming with controversial car-of-tomorrow, but no one seems to know what NASCAR might do, or when. "I think they're going to go look into the engines -- to maybe reduce horsepower," Denny Hamlin says. "Maybe do something to the cars…but it's tough to say whether they're going to add downforce or take it all away. But I think they are going to make changes to the car. And I think it's going to be after a lot of meetings with team engineers and finding out what we need to do to make them better." Two of the biggest problems with the new COT is --- that it doesn't want to turn in the corners, so teams are doing really farout things with the chassis to help it turn (once reason apparently for some of the Dover tire issues); and that it has such a high center-of-gravity and so much right-side weight that it eats up right-side tires. Kyle Busch says "I'd like to see NASCAR do something to help these cars – either by taking 100 pounds out of these cars, or taking some right-side weight out. We've all gotten smarter in building these cars, and now we all have maybe 200 pounds of lead, or rather tungsten, in the car (as ballast)."(mikemulhern.net)(6-6-2009) Comment here

NASCAR's Most Valuable Teams: To date, all 13 races have been won by five of the sport's most valuable teams; six have come from Hendrick Motorsports, which tops Forbe's list this year. No. 2: Roush Fenway Racing. Richard Childress Racing is third. Since Forbe's valuations last year, four of the top 15 most valuable teams have disappeared, either through mergers or an exit from the sport, leaving a bigger divide between the haves and have-nots. Forbe's estimate the average top 10 team fell in value by 6% to $148 million in 2009 from $158 million last year. Partly to blame: Sponsors renewing deals with teams now have more leverage than ever to negotiate a better deal. Hendrick Motorsports is ranked #1, worth $350 million followed by Roush Fenway Racing ($270m), Richard Childress Racing ($167m), Joe Gibbs Racing ($144) and Richard Petty Motorsports ($131). See full story and top 10 list at Forbes.com.(6-5-2009) Comment here

NASCAR Announces “Double-File Restarts – Shootout Style”: NASCAR announced a change to its race format with the addition of “Double-File Restarts – Shootout Style” throughout each race. Beginning with this weekend at Pocono Raceway, the first- and second-place drivers will line up side-by-side as the green flag flies for each restart. “We’ve heard the fans loud and clear: ‘double-file restarts – shootout style’ are coming to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “This addition to the race format is good for competition and good for the fans.”
NASCAR recently used the “double-file” format for its non-points NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which produced an unpredictable finish. The format will be adapted for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in the near future. Under the previous format, cars on the lead lap would restart in a single-file line while cars that had been lapped would start in a line next to them. Under the new format, the race leader will have the option to restart on the inside or outside lane. The second-place driver would then restart next to the leader. Regardless of where the leader starts, drivers in odd number positions (3rd, 5th, 7th places, etc.) will restart on the inside lane, while drivers in even number positions (4th, 6th, 8th places, etc.) will restart on the outside. All restarts will use the same format regardless of the number of laps remaining in the race.
The first-place driver will continue to control the timing of restarts in a designated zone on the track. Likewise, cars are to stay in line until they reach the start/finish line. The first eligible car a lap or more down will continue to earn one lap back following a caution, which is known as the “free pass.” However, a new element beginning this week will be that the “free pass” will remain in effect the entire race [before it was all race until 10 or less laps to go, then none was awarded]. Lapped cars choosing to remain on the track will be “waved around” the caution car and will restart the race in respective track position, thus picking up a lap to the leader provided the leader also pits. This will also remove lapped cars from behind the pace car, allowing the leaders to take the green without interference [so the leader will not restart in the middle of the pack].(NASCAR)(6-4-2009) Comment here

Double-File restarts at Pocono? NASCAR distributed proposals to crew chiefs regarding possible procedures for double-file restarts which could be introduced as early as Pocono Raceway next week. The proposal states all starts will be double file. The race leader will have his choice of which lane to use for the restart. The third-place car will always start in the inside lane. There will be no changes in the free pass or "lucky dog," and cars that are one lap down can choose not to pit, therefore regaining a lap during a caution. The new rule appears to be a work in progress but Pocono is a 2.5-miler with plenty of space and opportunity to figure it out.(FoxSports)(6-1-2009)

NASCAR DVD's head to space: DVD copies of two of the most important races in NASCAR history will soon be making the journey of a lifetime. Doug Hurley is a huge race fan, and he also happens to be an astronaut. He’ll serve as pilot for the STS-127 mission, which is currently slated to launch on board the Space Shuttle Endeavour on June 13. Going along for the ride with Hurley will be copies of the 1979 and 1998 Daytona 500s for possible inclusion in the permanent library on board the International Space Station. Each DVD comes in a specially designed package honoring Hurley’s first spaceflight. The cover features a view of the Earth’s surface, along with the STS-127 logo. The packaging will not be available to the public. A cousin of Greg Zipadelli’s wife Nan, Hurley attended his first NASCAR event at Watkins Glen International in August 2000. Since then, he’s attended 20 or so events, despite being assigned for some of that time to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.(See full story at Stock Car Histoy Online)(5-28-2009)

NASCAR opens floor to drivers, owners: NASCAR officials spent more than four hours in two meetings Tuesday discussing with drivers, owners and team management everything from the sport's drug testing policy, to how to improve the new car, to the economy. It was a big change from the days when the governing body made decisions and solved problems by talking to one or two drivers in the back of a hauler at the track. All of those involved described the meetings as positive and expected more to follow in the future. "Hopefully, this is the beginning of a new form of communication," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said. Chairman Brian France said open lines of communication are needed because "things are more complex."
"One-one-one meetings and trying to cover all the issues of the day either at a shop or at the track, that becomes hard to do," he said. "There are too many complicated issues. It was consistent with where we need to be. And we have a lot of smart people in the industry. We had Roger Penske here. We had a good communication line in the first place. We just want to build on that." Hunter said a lot of good ideas were broached, some that would have to be considered short term. He did not elaborate, but among those under consideration are double-file restarts with all of the leaders up front.
One of the biggest complaints coming in was the new car that many drivers and crew chiefs believe has hurt competition. Series director John Darby consistently has said no changes are planned -- that changes would create more problems. France said the governing body is more open to changes after Tuesday's conversations. "We think the car is putting on a good show," France said, "but clearly if there's some adjustments without changing the financial [structure], we want to be open to that. We heard some ideas that we're going to consider. They heard some reasoning why our thinking was staying put on the new car. It was a good exchange."
The drug policy that has been scrutinized since Jeremy Mayfield was suspended on May 9 was clarified. Drivers "scared" that a prescription drug could cost them their career left assured that was not the case. "I'm very comfortable now," Mark Martin said. "I'm also very comfortable with the way they're handling the list." NASCAR does not provide its drivers with a full list of substances they are tested for, arguing that leaving it open ended gives them more room to catch offenders. "I feel much better now than I did before the meeting," Martin said. France said he was quite certain everybody has a clearer understanding of the policy. "We covered that very carefully," he said. "There were some questions still remaining. Hopefully, we cleared that up."(see full article at ESPN.com)(5-26-2009) Comment here

NASCAR calls mandatory driver meeting UPDATE 2: NASCAR has called a mandatory meeting for all Sprint Cup drivers for Tuesday [May 26th] morning at the Research and Development Center in Concord. Officials would not reveal the nature of the meeting. Speculation in the garage was that it is to clear up the confusion created by Jeremy Mayfield's indefinite suspension for violating the substance-abuse policy.(ESPN)(5-21-2009)
UPDATE: The shape of Tuesday's big meeting between NASCAR officials and Sprint Cup teams is slowly becoming clearer: And it is now sizing up as a day-long series of small meetings, rather than any full townhall scene. Each of NASCAR's top Cup operations will have its own individual face-to-face with NASCAR executives, to discuss ideas and raise suggestions about what NASCAR could do to make Cup racing more compelling – for better TV ratings and for better ticket sales. All Cup team owners and their drivers are expected to attend the sessions at NASCAR's nearby R&D center. No specific agenda items have been listed, but one hot topic is expected to be the car-of-tomorrow, which has become an expensive engineering problem for crews, particularly small teams without the hefty engineering and computer. The Carl Edwards-Brad Keselowski-Ryan Newman crash at Talladega could be another issue. NASCAR has said little about what it might want to do to deal with that issue of flying race cars, though Newman himself has said several times it is a major issue that needs to be attacked.(mikemulhern.net)(5-24-2009)
UPDATE 2: France said the mandatory meeting that NASCAR called for drivers and owners on Tuesday at the Research and Development Center in Concord was scheduled before the [Mayfield] suspension. "It's not related to the drug issue or the substance abuse policy, although we'll take questions on that," he said. France said the meeting will be a town hall atmosphere where a variety of issues will be discussed. "Including what the economy has done, the sponsorship component, what's happening with the manufacturers, the new car on the track ... a lot of different things," he said. France said the goal is to improve the overall quality of the sport. Under consideration will be double-file restarts by the leaders as used in the All-Star race but a part of point races. "There's many things we're going to look at, that being one of them, and see if we can make the sport better," France said. "It's to open up our communication lines with team owners and drivers. "It's just something we've wanted to do for a while."(ESPN)(5-24-2009)

NASCAR sponsors may face boycott over Confederate flag: The Miami-Dade branch of the NAACP has set its sights on NASCAR, Homestead’s major national attraction, in its fight against the Confederate flag. The civil rights organization will first reach out to officials with NASCAR, seeking to enlist their help in efforts to ban the controversial symbol from city-sponsored events. If that does not work, however, NAACP officials say they will consider a boycott and protest march at the NASCAR events slated for Nov. 20-22 at the Homestead-Miami Motor Speedway. NAACP officials on Wednesday said they are drafting a letter to NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France, who has publicly spoken out against the Confederate flag in recent years. If the civil rights organization does not get the racing league’s cooperation and support, officials there said they are prepared to begin contacting NASCAR’s sponsors, and to stage protests during the races.(South Florida Times)(5-23-2009) Comment here

NASCAR..going green? With President Obama making the strong case this week for more fuel-efficient cars out of Detroit, and with the heads of all the car makers there at the White House, what's the take in the NASCAR garage on what this sport should be doing to be more green? NASCAR's John Darby, head of the Sprint Cup series, says it's nice to look at racing more fuel-efficient engines, or using more fuel-efficient fuels, and all that, but he says NASCAR's main point right now is this: "We have been, for the last five years, looking at green – at alternative fuels, at new engine designs. But we feel we can have a huge effect on being environmentally friendly by attacking the biggest group we deal with – our fan base and our competitors in the garage. For example, you have a choice when you rent a car, so rent a hybrid. Or put four people in a car; you don't need four cars. Those kinds of things. Our great initiative right now is in the two new office buildings going up, the Hall of Fame here, and one in Daytona. Both of those are going to be green-certified. We are doing a lot of things internally. Do the race cars matter? Yes. And will some day they come into that loop, yes. But right now we can make more progress and be more effective, in the grand scheme of things, and we can make more progress by working on the big picture and the things around us first.….knowing that, yes, there will be a fuel that's 'right,' that there will be fuel-injection, a lot of changes. Unfortunately they take longer to work through than the simpler things." E-85? That's a highly touted mix of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent farm-based ethanol. "This is my personal opinion, that that's not the best plan," Darby says. "You don't want to make changes just to make changes. There are better fuels, more practical fuels. You can argue that the (corn-based) alcohol (fuel) program is at the expense of making fuel for cars over the food we eat. Now I don't necessarily support that. But there are better many opportunities for better fuels."(Mikemulhern.net)(5-22-2009) Comment here

Double File Restarts coming? NASCAR officials are looking at whether the double-wide restarts used in the All-Star race with all the leaders up front should be used for regular Sprint Cup races. "We've been talking about it for a year," series director John Darby said on Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "Every time we have an All-Star race the frequency of those talks gets much louder. It's obviously something the fans like a lot. Their interest is our interest. We're looking at it." While most procedural changes are made during the offseason, Darby didn't rule out that a change could be made during the season if the governing body thought it made for better racing. "We use it in modified and Camping World East/West events," he said. "The only thing it hasn't applied to is the national series. What we have to look at is the downside. We try to apply every scenario that could create more problems. That's what we're working through." Races currently are started double-filed until 20 laps remain with lapped cars on the inside lane. That means a 15th-place car actually could be starting in the 30th position. All restarts 20 laps in are single file.(ESPN)(5-21-2009) Comment here

Changes coming for Daytona/Talladega? NASCAR officials, in response to #99-Carl Edwards' flip at Daytona, are now studying that slight aerodynamic rear spoiler [wing] change suggested by Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, according to one top Sprint Cup team manager privy to the technical debate. In fact that change might have been tested at Daytona within the past few days, during the 10-team Goodyear tire test for the tour's next restrictor plate race, at Daytona July 4th. Despite the high publicity surrounding the Talladega issue, crews here [Darlington] this week have so far been reluctant to discuss any possible NASCAR changes at the tour's two restrictor plate tracks. Goodyear officials said the Daytona tire testing was to improve stability in the draft.(mikemulhern.net)(5-9-2009) Comment here

NASCAR not policing start and park; full fields not required: When it comes to start-and-park, the bottom line appears to be that it's not a major issue to NASCAR, which is usually keenly tuned to the public's perception of the sport. "NASCAR doesn't perceive this to be an issue," a statement released this week by the sanctioning body said. "It doesn't impact the quality of competition whatsoever. NASCAR has always been about teams having the opportunity to participate in our sport; some teams might not have the full complement of resources to compete at the same level as others, but it's all about having an opportunity." Virtually to a man, the owners who seem to be in the middle of the situation see it in the same way, as racers. And NASCAR said it has had no conversations with owners specific to what their intentions are once they qualify for races. Staying in line with its take that the situation is not one of concern, NASCAR said it would not monitor any closer the reasons teams give for the their cars' dropping out of races, which range from a variety of mechanical reasons such as "engine," "transmission" and "rear end" to more nebulous causes including "handling," "vibration" or "electrical."
AND One thing NASCAR did dispel is the misconception that there is language in the current TV contracts for the three national tours that demands 43-car fields in Cup and Nationwide, and a 36-truck field in the Truck Series, with penalties resulting if full fields aren't provided. "It is NASCAR's responsibility to have a reasonable field of cars for each of its events," NASCAR said in a statement. "However, there is no language in the TV contracts that demands what the size of the fields must be."(NASCAR.com)(4-16-2009) Comment here

Jim France stepping down as CEO of ISC: Jim France will step down as chief executive officer of International Speedway Corporation effective June 1 with Lesa Kennedy succeeding him in that role. Jim France is the son of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., brother of former NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. and uncle of current NASCAR chairman Brian France. Brian France is Lesa Kennedy’s brother. Jim France will retain his role as chairman of ISC’s board of directors. Lesa Kennedy will remain vice chair of the ISC board. John Saunders, currently the executive vice president and chief operating officer of ISC, will take over as ISC president – the title previously held by Lesa Kennedy.(Charlotte Observer)(4-14-2009) Comment here

NASCAR to host Touring and Weekly Series banquets in Charlotte: NASCAR announced that its "stars of tomorrow" and short track veterans will gather in the greater Charlotte area for two special year-end celebrations. NASCAR will host a special week of activities culminating in the 2009 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) Awards Banquet on Friday, November 13, and the new NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards Gala on Saturday, November 14. Both season-end awards banquets will be held in the recently-completed Embassy Suites Hotel Concord Convention Center which is located near the NASCAR Research & Development Center, in proximity to the future NASCAR Hall of Fame complex, as well as the home bases of many of today's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams. Moving the banquets to the Charlotte area compliments the commitment the community has made to the business of NASCAR and the development of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The NWAAS Awards Banquet will feature weekly racing drivers from top short tracks across the United States and Canada. Invited attendees will include the 2009 NWAAS National Champion, NWAAS State and Provincial Champions, all 58 track champions, the national/ state/provincial Rookies of the Year, the 2009 Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award winner, and many others. The NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Gala will feature the champions and top drivers from all of NASCAR's North American regional touring series including invitees from the NASCAR Camping World Series East, the NASCAR Camping World Series West, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.(NASCAR PR)(4-9-2009) Comment here

NASCAR no plans on keeping radio chatter from fans: Radio transmissions between drivers, owners, spotters and crew chiefs will continue to be available to NASCAR, media and fans. Flak over a torrid exchange between #2-Kurt Busch and car owner Roger Penske last Sunday at Martinsville -- in which Busch called his owner "dude" -- evoked a familiar refrain on Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. "The radio, I always thought, has been a team tool that should be utilized just by the teams," Busch said. "We don't get to hear what the coach says to his offensive and defensive coordinators in the NFL. I don't think that we get to hear what they do in baseball when they call to the bullpen. You don't get to hear what they say in the huddle, and what they say in the huddle is pretty animated. Roger and I are on the same page. Martinsville is behind us." That may be, but NASCAR isn't about to budge when it comes to keeping the airwaves open.
"The more access we can give the fans, that's a part of what made NASCAR what it is, the accessibility of the drivers," said Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications. "In my opinion, drivers -- even in the heat of battle -- need to be able to control their emotions. They're driving a racecar around at 200 miles an hour with a bunch of other people. NASCAR needs to be able to hear what's going on with the teams during a race, and we've extended that to the fans."(Sporting News)(4-5-2009) Comment here

National Science Foundation Teams With NASCAR: As science educators continue to explore ways to improve science scores among students grades 8-12, they now can turn to NASCAR. A new online series of videos called The Science of Speed, announced Friday at the Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) in Fort Worth, reveals the sophisticated science and engineering behind NASCAR racing to teach science. To bring the 12-module science video series to computer screens, NSF teamed with NASCAR, the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States, University of Texas at Dallas physics professor Diandra Leslie-Pelecky—author of the book The Physics of NASCAR and Santa Fe Productions, Albuquerque, N.M. In a series of high-quality, easy-to-understand videos, fast cars double as science experiments that illustrate basic concepts of friction, safety, sound and other elements of racing at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. Deftly guided onscreen by Leslie-Pelecky, viewers glimpse the intricacies of a rarely seen side of NASCAR—the science. Segments feature drivers, crew chiefs and engineers from numerous NASCAR garages including Jeff Gordon, Steve Letarte and Lisa Smokstad of Hendrick Motor Sports; Nick Hughes of Michael Waltrip Racing; Carl Edwards and Chris Andrews of Roush Fenway Racing; Josh Browne and John Probst of Red Bull Racing; Andy Randolph of Earnhardt Childress Racing and many others. Teachers and students can download the videos for free from NSF’s new website, Science360.gov. Science360.gov was created to be the preferred on-line destination for obtaining cutting-edge science information.(NASCAR PR), see a video at ESPN.com and more info at stockcarscience.com.(4-4-2009)

F1 champion to be determined by race wins, NASCAR?: Formula One's championship will be decided by the number of race wins and not accumulated points. Governing body FIA decided Tuesday that the current points system will remain in effect only to determine the driver's title in the case of a tie, with points also determining the order of finish behind the overall champion. Under the new scoring system, Ferrari's Felipe Massa would have won the 2008 championship ahead of Lewis Hamilton of McLaren. The Brazilian driver won six grand prix races to Hamilton's five, but the British racer took the title by one point, 98-97, after finishing fifth in the season-ending Brazilian GP.(Associated Press)
so...NASCAR? If NASCAR would have had this system since 2000, how would the champs look for those season?
Year: Most Wins, Actual Champ
2008: Edwards [9 wins], Johnson [7]
2007: Johnson [10], Johnson
2006: Kahne [6], Johnson [5]
2005: Biffle [6], Stewart [5]
2004: Johnson [8], Kurt Busch [3]
(2004-2008 have used the Chase format)
2003: Newman [8], Kenseth [1]
2002: Kenseth [5], Stewart [3]
2001: Gordon [6], Gordon
2000: Stewart [6], Bobby Labonte [2]
(stats from ESPN.com/Ed Hinton)(3-18-2009) Comment here

Two NASCAR moguls off the Billionaire's List: NASCAR Team Owner, Roger Penske and Bruton Smith, the chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc. have both fallen off the Forbes’ list of the world’s billionaires. Other NASCAR related still on the list include: Roush Fenway Racing co-owner John Henry, John Menard who sponsors the #98 Ford of son Paul and Red Bull Racing owner Dietrich Mateschitz. See the full story/list at forbes.com.(3-15-2009)

ISC issues smaller bonuses to top two execs: International Speedway Corp. issued smaller bonuses to its two top executives in 2008 than it did in 2007. According to its 2009 proxy statement filed Wednesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, ISC Chairman Jim France's total compensation was $1.04 million in 2008 - $48,000 less than what he made in 2007 with his bonus about $28,000 less than a year ago. ISC President Lesa France Kennedy's bonus was more than $25,000 less than a year ago, and her total compensation was $768,454, down from $814,159 in 2007. Executive Vice President John Saunders and Senior Vice President Roger VanDerSnick did receive higher bonuses and overall compensation. Saunders' total compensation was $639,450 in 2008 compared with $632,944 in 2007, while VanDerSnick made $507,345 in 2008 compared with $457,002 in 207. As of March 9, the France Family Group owned 68.91 percent of the voting stock in the company. Jim France, brother of the late Bill France Jr., is listed as owning 46.23 percent of the voting stock, while Betty Jane France, Bill France Jr.'s widow, owns 20.57 percent. Lesa France Kennedy, Bill France Jr.'s daughter, owns 2.66 percent, and Brian France, Bill France Jr.'s son, owns 0.23 percent. All are members of the France Family Group, which also includes their children.(Scene Daily)(3-13-2009) Comment here

More on the "Start and Park": How closely will NASCAR watch for "start and park" teams in this time of less than fully funded fields in Cup races? And how harshly will NASCAR deal with them? That depends on who you talk to within NASCAR. Vice president of competition Robin Pemberton largely confirms what scenedaily.com began reporting Friday: that NASCAR is watching closely. But two officials with higher seniority are taking a more benign posture.
Jim Hunter, NASCAR's veteran vice president for corporate communications, wonders how and why NASCAR could enforce start and park. And NASCAR president Mike Helton doesn't even like to use the term "start and park" anyway. Could NASCAR actually prove a driver has parked, not for mechanical reasons stated, but to save money and still collect the minimum prize to start? "Sure we can," Pemberton said Sunday. "If somebody says the motor was sputtering due to a fuel-pump problem, we can take it apart and look at it." Bottom line, "We're encouraging people to come in and race," Pemberton said.
But, said Hunter, "It's not an issue that's paramount to the success or failure of an event, so why is it an issue [at all]." Said Helton, "I don't look at them as start and parks. I look at them as teams and drivers that are trying to figure out how to get into the sport, and that's a good thing. People talk about start and park as a negative thing, so I don?t like to use that term. "I think of it more as people who have an opportunity," Helton said. "Maybe they're not up to speed yet. Maybe they're not quite capable of doing things that they want to do one day. And this is the way they get started." Helton agrees that "What Robin was referring to, we're watching to be sure that that [getting started] is the intent of these owners."
"If you were going to label somebody a start-and-parker, you would have to understand his financial situation," Hunter says. "Does the guy who might do it this week and not do it next week? Does he have the money to buy tires to really race?" It's race by race, case by case, so that there are so many factors that I don't think it's an issue," Hunter said.(ESPN Insider)(3-12-2009) Comment here

NASCAR scrutinizing start and park team reasons UPDATE: NASCAR won’t create a hard-line rule prohibiting Sprint Cup teams from starting a race and then parking their car a few laps later, but NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Friday there is an increased emphasis on making sure that the reason a team gives for falling out of the race is legitimate. Although there are only 36 cars that have the funding to run the entire season, several teams are trying to make races each week. In past years, when there haven’t been 43 fully funded cars, some drivers started the race, parked in the opening laps and pocketed the last-place money. “We owe it to the garage area [to make sure] that everybody is on the up-and-up,” Pemberton said in the Atlanta Motor Speedway garage Friday. “When they call [they’re] out, we will continue to look at what put those cars at. What we’re going to encourage at this level here is that people participate and do what they can do to race. What we want to prevent is someone legitimately trying to do a race setup and getting bumped out by somebody that may have gone above and beyond what the spirit of the rules are.” Pemberton said NASCAR doesn’t expect every team to be able to run up front, but those that make the final 43 need to be on the track racing someone. “There’s people that aren’t top-10 cars but they compete against other people that are 25th through 35th,” Pemberton said. “We need to encourage those guys to race each other.” As far as the Nationwide and Truck events, where there have traditionally been start-and-park racers over the last few years, Pemberton said there could be a little more leniency. “There’s more at stake with the purses and whatever else that goes on [in Cup], but we are going to encourage the level of competition throughout the ranks the best that we can,” Pemberton said.(SceneDaily)(3-6-2009)
UPDATE: That panic attack – combined with the weakness implied by having a less than full field – forced NASCAR to do whatever it could simply to bring teams to the race track. At Atlanta, an anonymous Truck Series driver also told Frontstretch that NASCAR had contacted them personally about running a Fontana start and park – a choice they decided not to make after NASCAR figured out they’d have enough trucks without them making an unscheduled trip to California. “NASCAR came to me and said they wanted more cars, they wanted to park,” said the owner/driver. “[So] we were going to go out there [Fontana] and do a start and park…for NASCAR.”(Frontstretch)(3-11-2009) Comment here

NASCAR creates formula for setting restart zone: NASCAR has established a formula for determining the length of the restart zone on the track. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, said Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway that officials will take the pit-road speed limit, double that figure and then set that as the distance in feet of the restart zone. At the start of this season, NASCAR created a zone where the leader must restart the race instead of giving the leader discretion from a certain area coming out of Turn 4 up to the starting line to restart the race. The rule is designed to create a more consistent restart at each track. Pit-road speeds typically range from 30 to 55 mph, depending on the length of the track. That means the restart zone will vary from 60-110 feet, depending on the track. "It will be twice the pit-road speed," Pemberton said. "It's a means to get variable lengths in there for the race track itself. It's something the garage area asked us to do. Is it perfect; maybe, maybe not. But, it's a start."(NASCAR Official Release)(3-7-2009) Comment here

Restart Line changes again: NASCAR is still experimenting with new distances for the restart zone. This weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it’s 90 feet. The zone two weeks ago was 50 feet at Daytona. Last week, it was 110 feet at Auto Club Speedway in California. NASCAR has created the restart zone to limit the area where the leader may restart the event. Nationwide Series drivers were told of the change during their prerace drivers meeting Saturday.(SceneDaily)(2-28-2009) Comment here

Get well UPDATE 2: NASCAR vice president for broadcasting Robbie Weiss remains hospitalized in Charlotte for treatment of a brain aneurysm suffered last Thursday. Weiss, 38, is in the intensive care unit at Presbyterian Hospital.(Charlotte Observer)(1-29-2009)
UPDATE: When NASCAR executive Robbie Weiss recently suffered a life-threatening aneurysm, France dispatched a company plane to bring Weiss' parents and family to him.(ESPN)
UPDATE 2: Robbie Weiss, NASCAR's Vice President of Broadcasting, will be discharged today from a rehabilitation facility after less than two weeks of treatment. He will now be allowed to recuperate from his brain aneurysm as an out patient. Weiss suffered the aneurysm in late January and has been recovering since. Weiss is looking forward to regaining his normal life away from any and all institutions.(CaptainThunderRacing.com)(2-24-2009)

NASCAR does not check video on rainout finishes: Jeff Gordon told his team last week after the Daytona 500 that he believed he could have been scored 12th instead of 13th in that Sprint Cup race, depending on the interpretation of NASCAR rules and policies. The final verdict: He was 13th. Here's why Gordon was confused: When the caution comes out during a race, the field is frozen and reset to the previous scoring line. Depending on the track, there are a dozen or so scoring lines spread throughout the oval. But NASCAR policy is that on the last lap, it uses video in addition to the scoring lines to determine the final position. Gordon believed he had passed David Reutimann after passing the scoring line, but before the caution came out for rain in the Daytona 500. NASCAR later called the race because of rain. Gordon crew chief Steve Letarte discussed the situation with NASCAR officials after the race to learn about the interpretation, which was that NASCAR will only use video on the final scheduled lap or green-white-checkered situation. "We use the [non-video freezing] of the field because we didn't know that we weren't going to go back [racing]," NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Friday at Auto Club Speedway.(Scene Daily)(2-23-2009) Comment here

NASCAR evaluating new restart rule: UPDATE: NASCAR is evaluating the 50-foot distance announced at the Budweiser Shootout as the new standard for the leader to restart an event. It could decrease from track to track based on driver input, officials said. Under the new rule, the leader has between the double-red line 50 feet from the start-finish line and single-red line at the start-finish line to start the race. Otherwise, the starter on the flag stand will start the field.(ESPN.com)(2-14-2009)
UPDATE: NASCAR has increased the restart zone for the leader to restart the race from 50 feet to 110 feet. Prior to this season, drivers had the entire distance from the restart line (typically coming out of Turn 4) to the starting line in order to mash the gas and restart the event. NASCAR created a 50-foot restart zone last week at Daytona International Speedway. If a driver didn’t restart the race by the end of the zone, the flagman would wave the green and restart the event. That distance apparently was too small. NASCAR has increased the length to 110 feet for the races at Auto Club Speedway in California this weekend.(Scene Daily)(2-22-2009)

NASCAR comments on quick Daytona 500 call: Here's Robin Pemberton, NASCAR VP of Competition on the issue of if the Daytona 500 should be run to completion: "That's fine if we didn't have other obligations further on down the road. Teams had to start traveling out here Monday evening or Tuesday at some time. It is a great race. There's a lot of prestige that goes along with it but it is just one of our many, many races that we conduct during the season and all of our races basically have the same guidelines whether its rain-shortened and what we try to do for the fans and out of respect for the people who are sitting in the stands.(Roanoke Times)(2-21-2009) Comment here

Single File Restarts with 20 laps to go: NASCAR will use single-file lineups for restarts with 20 laps remaining in all three national series this year, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said today. The previous rule called for single-file restarts with only 10 laps remaining. All other restarts had lapped cars on the inside lane. NASCAR is still allowing for the first driver one-lap down [Lucky Dog] to get back on the lead lap until there are 10 laps left in the race. Pemberton said the rule was to allow the leaders more room to race following a caution in the waning laps. “We’ve been talking to the crews, teams and drivers and we felt like it was a time to make a change,” Pemberton said. “We haven’t taken away the lucky dog and haven’t hurt anybody from getting a lap back.”(SceneDaily)(2-22-2009) Comment here

NASCAR: Drivers pass preseason drug tests UPDATE but...: NASCAR does not anticipate suspending any drivers who took their preseason drug tests last week in North Carolina, sanctioning body spokesman Ramsey Poston said. “We are proud of how the process worked so far,” Poston said in a statement. “All drivers, crew members and officials will have passed the substance-abuse test going into the season.” Drivers in NASCAR’s three national series must pass a drug test during the preseason, and most drivers took their test last week at the NASCAR Research and Development Center. This is the first season that NASCAR is requiring its drivers to pass a preseason drug test. Its previous policy allowed NASCAR to test at any time for reasonable suspicion – which is still the policy today – but did not require the passing of a preseason test. Teams had to submit crew rosters and list those who had passed a drug test in order to have them licensed to work on the cars. “We will continue to randomly test throughout the season,” Poston said, “and our reasonable suspicion remains in place, making NASCAR’s substance abuse policy one of the most comprehensive in sports.”(SceneDaily)(1-31-2009)
UPDATE: All drivers in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Nationwide Truck Series passed the first round of drug testing under NASCAR's new policy, officials said on Thursday, but that wasn't the case for crew members. Kevin Harvick said two pit crew members for his Truck Series team were released after failed tests and he expects there are others throughout all three series. "There's definitely more out there,'' Harvick said during media day at Daytona International Speedway. "There's a lot of people that are looking for jobs right now that are straight-up people. It couldn't have come at a better time.'' NASCAR implemented a policy that calls for mandatory preseason testing for all drivers and crew members and random testing throughout the season by an independent laboratory after former Truck Series driver Aaron Fike admitted last season he competed under the influence of heroin. The tests are focused on narcotics, beta blockers and steroids. Random testing will be done at the track almost every race weekend, beginning at Daytona next week. Anywhere from 12 to 14 crew members and two drivers per series will be tested each weekend. A failed test by a driver will be made public, but not those by crew members. Three failed tests will result in an automatic lifetime ban. In the past, testing was done only on "reasonable suspicion.''(ESPN.com)(2-6-2009) Comment here

Newman questions timeline of drug testing: Ryan Newman supports NASCAR's new drug-testing policy for 2009 but says he was surprised that the sanctioning body so clearly defined a designated time frame for the tests. "I might be opening up a can of worms when I say this, but why would you announce you're going to have a drug-testing time?" Newman said during the Stewart-Haas Racing portion of the Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I mean the whole idea of announcing it kind of takes away from the people that know how to cheat the system. Obviously, I know there's probably going to be some follow-ups with certain people ... but it just seems to me that you're only eliminating the really, really naïve people in the first testing or in the first screening like this." The sanctioning body issued a memo to teams in December, requiring they submit drug-testing results from all crew members, spotters and race-day support personnel, including engineers, engine tuners, shock specialists, chassis specialists and tire specialists, by Jan. 16. NASCAR was to oversee drug testing for all drivers beginning the week of Jan. 20.(Scene Daily)(1-30-2009) Comment here

Feds say NASCAR violated rules in plane crash: NASCAR violated federal regulations when it allowed a plane involved in a deadly 2007 crash outside Orlando, Fla., to return to the air without maintenance after a pilot reported an electrical malfunction the previous day, federal investigators said Wednesday. The crash -- which killed five people, including two children and an adult on the ground -- was partly a result of sloppy maintenance record-keeping at NASCAR's aviation unit, staff investigators told the National Transportation Safety Board Wednesday. NASCAR has a fleet comparable to a small charter operation or a tiny airline. The board was set to vote later in the day on determining the official cause of the July 10, 2007, crash in Sanford. Investigators said the pilot flying the plane the day before the crash deactivated the plane's radar system in mid-flight when it began producing a burning smell. The pilot submitted an incident report to the maintenance division, but the problem was not inspected before the plane was allowed back in the air the next day. Instead, the radar system was kept off. The pilot in charge on the day of the crash was told of the incident before he took off, investigators said, but may have believed the radar system was simply broken. Instead, an electrical problem reoccurred, this time tragically, as the plane was making a 100-mile trip from Daytona Beach to Lakeland. "I think we're going to find that this accident started before the airplane even left the ground," said NTSB board member Robert Sumwalt. "We're going to see that the organization ... enabled this tragic, unnecessary crash." Investigators said they found that NASCAR kept poor records of maintenance problems with its planes and had no system for ensuring that reports were addressed. NASCAR couldn't provide a copy of the maintenance report that the pilot submitted the day before the crash, for example. The accident killed a woman and her and 6-month-old son when their home was hit by the plane, as well as a 4-year-old child in a second house that was hit. NASCAR pilot Michael Klemm and the husband of a NASCAR executive, Bruce Kennedy, also died in the accident. Board members expressed frustration that corporate flight divisions aren't subject to greater oversight.(AP/ESPN.com.(1-28-2009)

NASCAR works with teams to improve business models: NASCAR chairman Brian France has ordered a companywide hiring freeze and suspended executive bonuses as the sanctioning body adjusts to the economic crisis. Although many teams went through offseason layoffs - it's estimated at least 600 people from various organizations have lost their jobs since November's season-ending race - NASCAR itself has been immune to staff reductions so far. But France said Thursday that open positions will not immediately be filled as NASCAR tightens its belt the same way most of corporate America has done since the economy began to falter last fall. "We're trying to do more with less. That's the difficult part of this economy," France said following his state-of-the-sport address to media at NASCAR's Research and Development Center. "It's internal, but we've instituted some things that we're trying to be responsible with our financial issues." France said he's also directed his management group to work with NASCAR teams in developing new business models that can help them withstand the current economic crisis. A sport heavily dependent on corporate sponsorship, NASCAR is increasing its involvement in helping teams locate and secure partners at a time when funding can be difficult to find. The initiative is run by its Charlotte-based "industry marketing" arm, a four-person department that works closely with teams to find sponsorship. "They're out in the marketplace trying to help the teams secure sponsorship," chief marketing officer Steve Phelps said. "They're out trying to help the teams create packages that will be meaningful for sponsors that are looking to get into our sport. And they try to create meaningful points of difference from team to team, driver to driver, that create something special that that sponsor might look for. It's more important what they do now more so than any time in its history based on the difficulty in the economy." Sponsorship woes have dramatically - and quickly - altered the landscape of NASCAR's top three series over the past several months.(Associated Press)(1-24-2009) Comment here

Deadline for team drug testing nears: NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck teams have one more week to file an initial list of crew members who have passed a drug test and are eligible for a NASCAR license. NASCAR issued a memo to teams last month, setting a Jan. 16 deadline for crew members, which includes all over-the-wall pit crew members, the crew chief, car chief, pit crew support, including team members that are responsible for tires, fuel, and pit crew operation, as well as spotters and race day support, including engineers, engine tuners, shock specialists, chassis specialists and tire specialists, to have the test results. All tests must be conducted by a laboratory certified by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Teams do not need to submit the names of crewmen who don’t pass. NASCAR plans to oversee the testing of drivers itself, beginning the week of Jan. 20, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Thursday. According to NASCAR policy, any driver who fails a test will be indefinitely suspended.(Scene Daily)(1-12-2009) Comment here

Interesting trends in NASCAR: As Christmas looms, a lot of unknowns remain about the 2009 Sprint Cup season. There are so many gray areas these days, but this breakdown gives some interesting statistical information on cars, sponsors and drivers for 2009. It also adds some clarity about NASCAR today.
Cars committed to running the full schedule -- 37
Fully funded cars -- 29 of the 37
Age Breakdown of drivers: Over 50 - 1 (Mark Martin); Under 30 -- 14 (However, Clint Bowyer, Sam Hornish Jr. and Carl Edwards all turn 30 in 2009. Joey Logano is the only driver under 20. He won't turn 19 until May.); In their 40s -- 3 (We're counting Labonte [44] in this one. He will have a ride somewhere in '09. Jeff Burton [41] and Michael Waltrip [45] are the other two. Blaney [46] hopes he'll be included.)
Rookies -- 2 (Logano and Scott Speed.)
Southerners -- 12
West Coast -- 11
Midwest -- 10
Northeast -- 2
International -- 2
College graduates -- 1 (Newman has an engineering degree from Purdue)
Cup champions -- 6 Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001), Labonte (2000), Stewart (2002 and 2005), Kenseth (2004), Kurt Busch (2005) and Johnson (2006, 2007 and 2008).
Sons of Cup drivers - 1 (With Kyle Petty's Cup career probably over, Earnhardt is the only one left.)
These stats and more info available at the full article.(ESPN.com)(12-24-2008) Comment here

NASCAR to begin tougher drug testing in January: NASCAR will test drivers for performance-enhancing drugs next month under a tougher policy that also bans using illegal drugs and abusing prescription medications. NASCAR likely will test drivers the third week of January, and crew members must submit results from an approved lab by Jan. 16, according to documents obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. A NASCAR memo sent to teams lists specific banned substances for which crew members must be screened. No similar guidelines were issued for drivers, as NASCAR reserves the right to test competitors for anything. Under the old policy, NASCAR had the right to randomly test based on suspicion of abuse. Under the tougher guidelines first announced in September, everyone will be tested before the season begins, and random testing will continue throughout the year. NASCAR expects to randomly test 12 to 14 individuals per series each weekend in 2009. The memo, dated Dec. 8, is the first time the new policy has been laid out in writing and specifies who falls under the guidelines. Those who must be tested before Jan. 16 include: pit crew members, including "over-the-wall" crew members, the crew chief, car chief, team members responsible for tires, fuel and pit crew operation, spotters and race-day support personnel that includes engineers, engine tuners, shock specialists, chassis specialists and tire specialists.
Among the substances those participants must be tested for are:
- Seven different amphetamines, including methamphetamine and PMA, a synthetic psychostimulant and hallucinogen.
- Three drugs classified under ephedrine.
- 13 different narcotics, including codeine and morphine.
- Ten different benzodiazepines and barbituates.
- Marijuana, cocaine, zolpidem, nitrites, chromates and drugs that can increase specific gravity.
No such list exists for the drivers, but spokesman Ramsey Poston confirmed NASCAR will test for performance-enhancing drugs. The driver testing, which will be administered by NASCAR, had been scheduled for preseason testing at Daytona next month. But because testing has been suspended for 2009, NASCAR likely will screen drivers when most are in Charlotte next month for the annual media tour of race shops.(Associated Press)(12-18-2008) Comment here

Earnhardt laps field in consumer index: #99-Carl Edwards and #48-Jimmie Johnson made gains, but #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. remained the runaway leader in the Davie Brown Index, which quantifies an athlete's relevance to consumer behavior. In polling of avid NASCAR fans conducted after the 2008 season by the Charlotte-based Millsport sports marketing agency, Earnhardt ranked first in awareness and nine "attribute" categories: appeal, notice, trend-setter, influence, trust, endorsement, aspiration, exposure and passion. The DBI also is used to quantify Hollywood celebrities, and Millsport vice president Ken Cohn says Earnhardt is creating a separation from other drivers unlike any celebrity the agency has seen. "Avid fans are at least 20% more passionate about Junior," Cohn says. Rounding out the top five in overall scores were #8-Mark Martin, #20-Tony Stewart, #31-Jeff Burton and Johnson, who advanced two spots from a NASCAR DBI survey in the spring that also was led by Earnhardt. Edwards, who finished second in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series, jumped 14 spots to sixth overall, ahead of #24-Jeff Gordon, #43-Bobby Labonte, #9-Kasey Kahne and #45-Kyle Petty.(USA Today)(12-18-2008)

Less wrecks in 2008: Accidents and spins in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series fell to their lowest levels in five years, USA TODAY database research shows. The taller, boxier, sturdier new-generation car, which began full-time duty this season after a 16-race trial in 2007, was involved in 211 incidents resulting in a caution, according to data compiled from NASCAR race reports. That's a 12% drop from last season and marked the lowest total since 2004, when the 10-race, playoff-style Chase began. Wrecks during this year's Chase also fell 33% from 89 in '07 to 60 this year, the lowest in the playoff's five-year existence. One huge surprise was Rookie of the Year Regan Smith, who had the third-lowest accident rate (12%) and became the first Cup rookie to finish every race. Rookie Sam Hornish Jr., a former Indianapolis 500 and three-time IRL IndyCar Series champion, topped the list with 20 accidents in 34 starts (59%). Drivers with the highest total of crashes and spins in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, according to USA TODAY database research:
2008 -- Sam Hornish Jr.*
2007 -- David Ragan*
2006 -- J.J. Yeley*
2005 -- Michael Waltrip
2004 -- Robby Gordon
2003 -- Steve Park
2002 -- Steve Park
See more at USA Today.(12-16-2008) Comment here

Sports Biz Most Influential, France 9th: NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian France is ranked ninth on Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal’s list of the 50 most influential people in sports business. France was ranked 10th last year by the magazine. The magazine’s item on France in this week’s issue reads as follows: “The foreword to the 2008 season was written when Brian France proclaimed NASCAR’s intent to get back to the roots of the sport. France set the tone in January by reaching out to those hard-core fans who felt left behind when NASCAR grew beyond its regional roots over the last 10 years. A NASCAR branding campaign followed and many of the sport’s stakeholders, from tracks to network partners, worked that theme into their promotions and broadcasts. With an industry that depends so heavily on sponsorship facing tough times in 2008 and tougher times in 2009, France’s leadership will be under close inspection. But it’s clear – as this season showed – that when he sets an agenda, most everyone in the sport falls in line.” John Henry, whose Fenway Sports Group owns the Boston Red Sox and half of Roush Fenway Racing, is 20th on the list. Topping the list is ESPN/ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer.(SceneDaily), see more at sportsbusinessjournal.com(12-15-2008) Comment here

2008 NASCAR Brand Leaderboard: NASCAR sponsors received almost $1.7 billion in exposure for their brands this year, according to the results of custom research for the recently concluded season. For the second straight year, SportsBusiness Journal/Daily teamed with Kansas City-based sponsorship measurement firm Image Impact to measure the exposure received by companies doing business with NASCAR. This year, they captured and assessed more than 138,000 sponsor impressions, 44% more than last year’s study, through NASCAR’s 37-race Sprint Cup Series schedule, which includes the Sprint All-Star Race.
Nearly 600 sponsors were tracked. Primary and secondary car and driver partners were analyzed, along with all race venue signage, and the myriad graphics and audio mentions from the races’ TV broadcasts. Six additional sponsored locations were measured this year, including exposure a sponsor may have received by having its logo on a trophy. Tertiary sponsors on driver and pit crew uniforms and on the quarter panels of the race cars were not reported.
Image Impact’s proprietary software provided analysis of the video feeds from each race. Each race broadcast was broken down and evaluated for all brand detections that occurred on screen and were clear and in-focus for at least one full second. Each of those individual detections was then evaluated based on its duration, average size, location and relative isolation (or lack thereof) from competing brands: Was the logo a featured image on the screen or was it shown among other sponsors? Nearly one-third of all monetary value calculated came via exposure on the on-screen leaderboard.
Because location and clarity significantly affected the measured value of each detection, quantity did not always translate into increased value. Also, for the purpose of summary calculations, each audio mention was assigned a duration of five seconds. For example, Allstate’s 702 detections generated $32.9 million in exposure over the course of the season, putting Allstate No. 9 overall among the nearly 600 companies tracked. Home Depot, No. 10 overall, had almost three times as many detections, but because many of those detections were less prominently displayed, the company received $29.6 million in value. See full story and stats at the Sports Business Journal.(12-8-2008) Comment here

France asks Congress to help Big Three automakers: NASCAR chairman Brian France has lobbied Congress to support a financial rescue plan for the struggling Big Three automakers. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors - three of the four manufacturers that participate in NASCAR - are pleading with Congress for a bailout to prevent their companies from going bankrupt. "I'm writing you as a concerned American who wants what is best for our great country," France wrote. "Of course, the domestic automobile manufacturers play a very important part of the heritage of NASCAR, but more importantly, it is vital for all of America." The letter, a copy of which was obtained Saturday by The Associated Press, was addressed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Sen. Chris Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, and Sen. Richard Shelby, the senior Republican on the Banking Committee. It was dated Tuesday. France's letter warned that if the auto industry fails, 3 million people would lose their jobs in the first year, and another 2.5 million over the following two years. He said personal income in the U.S. would drop by $150 billion in the first year and domestic automobile production - even by foreign manufacturers - would likely drop to zero. "For these manufacturers to survive, your assistance is urgently needed," France wrote. "By immediately supporting America's automobile industry, you can help our nation avoid a devastating economic blow. We urge the Administration and Congress to support the bridge loan package under deliberation. As unattractive as the idea of corporate federal bailouts can be to many Americans, including me, there appears to be no alternative. Federal aid is in the best interest of the entire country." Although France said last month that NASCAR could survive a manufacturer pullback or pullout, teams throughout the industry are deeply concerned about the stability of the Big Three. Toyota, the only foreign manufacturer that participates in NASCAR, has also seen slumping sales but is on more solid financial footing than the American automakers. Any sort of pullback by the manufacturers would cripple many race teams, particularly because sponsorship is extremely difficult to find during the economic crisis. Many teams have been forced to release employees, and some are reconsidering their 2009 plans.(see full story at the Associated Press)(12-7-2008) Comment here

NASCAR to partner with Kevin Costner: NASCAR announced a year-long partnership with actor and director Kevin Costner that will see the Academy Award winner participate in several NASCAR initiatives, including the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards banquet, narration of a new NASCAR movie and the exclusive debut of the latest music video for Kevin Costner and Modern West on NASCAR.COM. “As a long time NASCAR fan, I’m very excited about this partnership,” said Kevin Costner, who has starred in several sports-themed movies. “They have tremendous fans, which are truly the most passionate in all of sports.”
“"Kevin's body of work speaks for itself, and we are fortunate to work with a great American talent our fans really appreciate,” said Brad Ball, vice president of entertainment and marketing, NASCAR Media Group. “We have a terrific program lined up for Kevin, which we believe will be well received by our fans. With Kevin, we'll build it, and they will come." Costner kicks-off the partnership with a special guest appearance at the Sprint Cup Series’ annual Champions Banquet at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City on December 5 (9:00pm/et on ESPN Classic). The awards show banquet honors the top performers of the Sprint Cup Series season and officially crowns NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, who has won his third-straight championship. Costner narrates a special tribute to the 60th Anniversary of NASCAR. Additionally, Costner and his band, Modern West, will debut the music video for their newest single, “Backyard,” exclusively on NASCAR.com beginning on Monday, Dec. 8. The video was produced by NASCAR Media Group and the song is part of the band’s debut album, Untold Truths, which was released on Nov. 11. “Backyard” is featured in the movie “Swing Vote” and was performed during a pre-race concert before the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway earlier this year.
Costner will also serve as the voice of the latest NASCAR film. “The Ride of Their Lives,” narrated by Costner, is a first-person account of the history and heroes of NASCAR brought to life through the men and women who lived the dream. The film includes new, exclusive interviews with famed NASCAR personalities Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon, Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip, and tells the story of how family dynamics weaved a thread through a half-century of racing. Produced by CMT Films and NASCAR Media Group, “The Ride of Their Lives” premieres Dec. 13 on CMT [9pm/et].
Costner, who has starred in such box-office hits as “Bull Durham,” “Dances with Wolves,” “Field of Dreams” and “The Bodyguard,” was most recently seen starring in Touchstone’s “Swing Vote,” a dark comedy, which he also produced. When not working on films, Costner plays lead vocalist and guitar in his band, Modern West as part of the Universal South label and can be seen playing venues across the country.(Rogers & Cowan PR)(12-5-2008)

NASCAR R&D Center Wins SAE Award: The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International Motorsports Engineering Conference Award was presented to the NASCAR Research and Development Center on Tuesday for its efforts towards “designing safer and more competitive vehicles.” NASCAR’s new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car, a seven-year project undertaken at the R&D Center, made its debut on the track in 2007 and was fully implemented into the series at the beginning of the 2008 season. The new car was designed with three primary goals in mind: improving driver safety, improving competition, and helping teams be more cost efficient. Peter Wright, FIA Technical Consultant and the conference’s keynote address speaker, presented the award to Mike Fisher, NASCAR’s Managing Director of the R&D Center. “The NASCAR R&D Center is honored to receive this award and our thanks and appreciation go out to all of the people in our industry who have been involved with the development of the new car, including the race teams, owners, manufacturers, and the staff here at the R&D Center,” said Fisher. “Safety is our #1 priority and is certainly an initiative that we work on every single day.”(NASCAR PR)(12-3-2008)

SOME PAST NEWS of INTEREST

NASCAR Amends Substance Abuse Policy: NASCAR announced today it has amended its longstanding substance abuse policy to include random testing beginning in 2009. The amended policy mandates that all drivers in NASCAR’s three national series be tested prior to the start of the 2009 season. Team owners must also verify that all licensed crew members have been tested by a certified lab prior to the start of the season. In addition, NASCAR will test its officials prior to the start of the 2009 season. Drivers, over-the-wall crew members and NASCAR officials thereafter will be subject to random tests throughout the year. “We have made a very good policy even better with the addition of random tests,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “NASCAR’s policy has long given us the ability to test anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Random tests now provide us and the industry with additional information.” NASCAR’s substance abuse policy has always prohibited the misuse or abuse of any drug. This means that a violation of the policy can be triggered with the use of any drug or medication if NASCAR believes it has been abused or misused. NASCAR’s sweeping policy of reasonable suspicion remains in effect. Penalties for violation of NASCAR’s substance abuse policy will continue to be among the toughest in sports – immediate suspension from competition. Competitors that violate the policy will continue to be required to meet detailed criteria prescribed by NASCAR’s outside experts in order to be considered for reinstatement. While it is possible that a competitor could receive a lifetime ban for just one violation, a third violation will automatically result in a lifetime ban. NASCAR will continue to work with its outside experts at AEGIS Sciences Corporation and Dr. David L. Black. AEGIS, which has worked with NASCAR on designing and implementing its substance abuse policy, is the largest independent sports and forensic certified testing laboratory in the United States. AEGIS personnel will be responsible for the administration of all preseason and random substance abuse tests.(NASCAR PR)(9-20-2008) Comment here

How the four team rule works: Teams are permitted to enter a fifth car for a maximum of seven races for a rookie to get the driver familiar with Sprint Cup competition. So when DEI entered Regan Smith, who had run 20 Cup races to that point at Watkins Glen in August 2008, NASCAR determined he did not fit the criteria for the fifth-car exception, NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said. DEI would have been allowed to put Aric Almirola in that car because Almirola has five starts at that point in the series, Tharp said. Almirola, who will take over driving the #8 car in 2009, already was entered in the #8 car for The Glen in place of veteran Mark Martin, who is driving the majority of the Cup races this year while Almirola fills in the rest. “We brought it to their attention that [Smith] would not be permitted to run in the fifth car,” Tharp said. “We told them they could move Aric Almirola into that fifth entry. They went back to discuss it and decided not to enter the fifth car.(SceneDaily)(8-7-2008)

Go or Go Home Drivers to Qualify Together; NASCAR to Provide Tires for Tests: Michael Waltrip suggested last season that drivers outside the top 35 in owners' points should be allowed to qualify together so nobody would have an advantage in track conditions. NASCAR officials must have listened. The governing body kicked off its annual media tour by announcing that those outside the top 35 in all three series [30 locked in for Nationwide and Trucks] -- Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series -- will qualify at the end of their respective session. It also was announced that teams will be provided tires for testing at non-sanctioned NASCAR tests. Sprint Cup teams will be given 200 tires, Nationwide teams 160 and Craftsman Truck Series teams 120.(ESPN.com)(1-21-2008) Comment here

NASCAR Fine Payments Going to NASCAR Foundation: NASCAR announced that starting this season, all money collected from fines issued to drivers will go to the NASCAR Foundation for its charitable initiatives. “Now that the NASCAR Foundation is well established and supporting dozens of charitable organizations it is the logical place for fine money to be distributed,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “We are excited to be able to work with our charities and help them develop a program that will maximize the impact they can have with their organizations,” said Sandy Marshall, executive director of the NASCAR Foundation.(NASCAR PR)(1-21-2008) Comment here

2007 Crash Data: Accidents and spins soared during the 2007 NASCAR Chase for the Nextel Cup, USA TODAY database research shows. Fueled by a track-record number of cautions in races at Martinsville Speedway (21) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (14), a total of 89 incidents were recorded — the most since NASCAR's 10-race playoff was instituted in 2004 — and a 14.1% increase from last year's 78 crashes and spins. A total of 240 accidents/spins were recorded during the 2007 season, the most since 253 incidents in 2005. #6-David Ragan is listed with the most at 22; then #7-Robby Gordon with 16. #29-Kevin Harvick had the least of the drivers running all 36 races, with 3.(see full story and database at USA Today)(12-20-2007)

Past Champions Limited To 6 Provisional Berths in Cup: NASCAR announced today an update to the past champion’s provisional rule in the Nextel Cup Series for 2007. Beginning this season, a past champion’s provisional may be used by an eligible driver a maximum of six times over the course of the season. In addition, a team with a past champion eligible driver may only use this provisional a maximum of six times during a season. Previously, there was no limit on usage of the past champion’s provisional over the course of the 36-race season. The provisional gives the eligible driver the 43rd and final starting position in the race field. "As NASCAR seeks to place more emphasis on competition, we have decided the time is right to limit the number of provisionals allowed,” said NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton. “We believe this revision brings the provisional policy in line with the continued growth of the sport.”(NASCAR PR)(1-31-2007)

History of African-American Drivers in the NEXTEL Cup Series:
Charlie Scott: Scott made his NASCAR debut in 1956. … Competed in the 1956 beach/road race in Daytona Beach driving for the famed Kiekhaefer Chrysler team. … Was a successful driver in Georgia during the late 1940s and 1950s. … No relation to Wendell Scott.
Wendell Scott: Scott made 495 starts in NASCAR’s premier series, winning over $180,000 in his 12-year career. … Was the 1959 Virginia State NASCAR Sportsman Division champion. Also won track championship at Southside Speedway in Richmond, Va. in 1959. … Made debut in NASCAR’s premier series in 1961. … Won at Jacksonville (Fla.) Speedway Park on Dec. 1, 1963, making him the only African-American driver to win a race in one of NASCAR’s national divisions. … Finished his career with 147 top 10s. … Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1999.
George Wiltshire: Wiltshire competed in two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events. … Made debut in 1971 at Islip (N.Y.) Speedway. … Also competed at Pocono International Raceway in 1975. … Raced in the NASCAR Sportsman Division in upstate New York in the 1970s.
Randy Bethea: Bethea competed in one NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 1975. … Was a popular driver on tracks around the Nashville, Tenn. area in the 1970s. … Competed in the NASCAR Sportsman Division, finishing 16th in points in the state of Tennessee in 1972.
Willy T. Ribbs: Ribbs competed in three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events in 1986 for the famed DiGard team. … Made debut at North Wilkesboro Speedway. … Won several Trans-Am events for Jack Roush in the mid-1980s. … Competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2001. Finished 16th in the series standings, winning more than $235,000.(NASCAR Media)(3-15-2006)

Green-White-Checker OFFICIAL and: A “green-white-checkered” finish format will be used for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series beginning with next weekend’s races at New Hampshire International Speedway, NASCAR officials announced today. “The green-white-checkered format is an attempt to achieve everyone’s goals – a green-flag finish,” NASCAR President Mike Helton said. “This change hopefully will provide competitive finishes in the relatively rare occasions it is warranted. This format has been successful in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and considering the tight competition week in and week out in the other two national series, we feel the time is right to use the same procedure in all three national series.”
The new procedure will consist of a restart of two laps – green flag for the first lap of the restart and the white flag signaling the final lap leading to the checkered flag. All additional laps will be counted and scored. The new format will not guarantee a green-flag finish. Only one restart under the “green-white-checkered” format will be attempted. If a caution comes out during that period, the race will be complete. This procedure will eliminate the need for a red flag in the final laps to immediately stop the race in an attempt to finish under green-flag conditions. The announcement expands the single attempt “green-white-checkered” format to all three of NASCAR’s national series, beginning next week.(NASCAR PR), for the Truck Series, who have had this procedure since it started, in 48 races with a G-W-C, 6 times has the lead changed [12.5%](Speed Channel)(7-15-2004)
AND - Trucks Change too: Until now, the trucks have been allowed to run multiple green-flag restarts to determine a winner. That will end after the race at Gateway. Cup races will be allowed only one re-start, and NASCAR will enforce that rule in all three series. Thus, a finish under caution is possible if an accident occurs on the final two laps.(St Louis Post Dispatch)(7-17-2004)

Pit Road Rules: NASCAR will change its policies for speeding violations on pit road following confusion over an infraction for which eventual race-winner Sterling Marlin was never penalized a week ago at Las Vegas. NASCAR president Mike Helton announced the changes Sunday morning at the drivers’ meeting prior to the MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The new rules go into effect next weekend at Darlington Raceway. The key change is that, under green-flag conditions, the penalty for speeding on the way onto pit road will now be the same as the penalty for speeding off the pit lane. The new penalty will be what NASCAR is calling a “pass through,” meaning the offending car will have to come off the track and travel the length of pit road at its speed limit without stopping. Under the old rule, a car speeding on the way onto pit road during a green-flag stop was held for 15 seconds in its pit stall. A car speeding off pit road was brought back to its pit box for a stop-and-go penalty. During last week’s UAW 400 at Las Vegas, NASCAR officials said Marlin was speeding as he came to his pit stall after being spun out in Turn 4. NASCAR’s race control officials called for the 15-second penalty, but that message was not heard by the official working in Marlin’s pit stall. Marlin left without serving a penalty and NASCAR decided not to enforce any further sanction, saying that bringing Marlin back to pit road would be too severe of a penalty. Since the usual penalty for speeding on the exit to pit lane was to bring a car back in for a stop-and-go, that raised the question of why the sanction for speeding on the way out should be more severe for speeding on the way in. The rule change announced Sunday addresses that issue. Helton admitted Sunday that not giving Marlin a penalty last week might not have been the right decision. Helton said the change was made to avoid the kind of confusion and miscommunication that happened at Las Vegas. Under the rule that goes into effect next week, a driver speeding on the way in and on the way out on the same pit stop will be brought back in for a stop-and-go penalty. A driver who exceeds the pit road speed limit as he serves the “pass through” penalty for speeding will also get a stop-and-go. The penalty for speeding in or out of a pit stop made under yellow-flag conditions will not change - the offending car will be sent to the end of the longest line of traffic for the restart.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-10-2002)
UPDATE: plus a nice breakdown at RacingOne:
The New Pit Road Rules

Speeding Entering Pit Road
Current Penalty: 15 seconds
New Penalty: Pass through at correct pit road speed.

Speeding Exiting Pit Road
Current Penalty: Stop and Go
New Penalty: Pass through at correct pit road speed

Entering and Exiting Pit Road
Current Penalty: 15 seconds after stop; brought back for stop and go
New Penalty: Stop and Go

Speeding on Pass Through
New Penalty: Stop and Go
Multiple Violations: NASCAR’s Discretion.(3-11-2002)

Minimum Age Requirement: Effective for the 2002 season, NASCAR has implemented a minimum age requirement for all drivers, crew members and other participants in its top three series - Winston Cup, Grand National and Trucks - as well as its Touring series. NASCAR hasn't permitted anyone under 18 to participate in Winston Cup or the Winston West stock-car series since 1998, in part because of the series' sponsorship by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. At least one driver will lose his chance at participating in one of NASCAR's top series next season as a result of the new rule. Kyle Busch, 16-year-old brother of Winston Cup driver Kurt Busch, was scheduled to run a full season for Roush Racing in NASCAR's Truck series, but will not be allowed to compete. Roush officials said Thursday he would remain under contract, however.(That's Racin') AND Busch, a high school student from Las Vegas, scored one top-10 effort. However, with the new ruling in place beginning with next year, it looks like Busch will be driving Late Model. With Busch sidelined for at least two years, that opens up the seat for someone else. The team has said that they will fulfill all contractual obligations to Busch. No driver has been named to the #99 CTS seat(NASCAR.com)(12-13-2001)

NASCAR DRUG POLICY

Competitors are asked to take a drug test if there is "reasonable suspicion."

Anyone who obtains any kind of NASCAR license must sign an "authorization for testing and release" waiver each season.

NASCAR can ask for samples of urine, blood, saliva, hair or breath tests if "reasonable suspicion" of drug use has been established.

A number of NASCAR officials are trained to take and seal samples for testing, and all are versed in detecting signs of impairment.

NASCAR encourages "whistle blowing" among its competitors to help police its substance abuse policy.

NASCAR reserves the right to suspend a competitor based on a conviction for driving a passenger vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a drug-related conviction.

Competitors and officials are prohibited from consuming alcohol prior to or during a race.

If a person fails a drug test and wants to return to racing, he or she must submit to a series of spot testing. The person being tested must pay for the examinations.

If an individual is reinstated, NASCAR reserves the right to randomly test that individual.

NASCAR does not recommend specific rehabilitation programs but strongly encourages self-help and treatment for those afflicted with a drug problem or alcohol abuse.

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