NASCAR does not plan to change rules on communicating with suspended crew chiefs: While teams continue to expand communications with suspended crew chiefs and crewmen, NASCAR does not plan to change its rules on teams communicating with personnel not allowed at the track. Last weekend, pit crew members were using FaceTime and other methods of communicating with suspended crew members. Both Joe Gibbs Racing and Penske Racing had crew chiefs that were suspended for rules violations and there were texts messages and even video being sent to those crew chiefs either at home or in the race shop. NASCAR President Mike Helton said Wednesday that no changes in the rules are planned. NASCAR's rules keep those suspended off track property and off team radios. "The teams' depth today … are so deep now that I'm not sure we're suspending crew members to hurt the performance of the team," Helton said. Helton said NASCAR understands there will be communication between the team and suspended personnel throughout a race weekend. (Sporting News)(5-16-2013)

Former NASCAR Cafe demolished as part of Sahara renovation: Demolition work continued Friday at the Sahara where workers began dismantling the former NASCAR Cafe. The work was just a small part of the ongoing renovation project, which also calls for stripping down and remodeling two of the property’s three hotel towers and demolishing a low-rise hotel building. The 1,620-room property is scheduled to reopen in fall 2014 as the SLS Las Vegas, a rebirth for a storied Strip resort that fell on hard times in the recession and finally closed in May 2011 after punishingly low room rates made it economically viable. Remodeling at the Sahara began in February, after Los Angeles-based owner SBE Entertainment got the final piece of $415 million in financing to overhaul the buildings. When it reopens, the SLS Las Vegas will include restaurants such as Umami Burger and nightclubs including Shelter, as well as seven outlets belonging to Fred Segal, an upscale clothing retailer based in California.(Las Vegas Review Journal)(5-14-2013)

NASCAR undeterred by appeal setbacks:NASCAR president Mike Helton insists the governing body did not have its power undermined by recent reductions in penalties through the appeal process. "I don't feel like this in anyway undermines what we do," Helton said Friday at Darlington Raceway. "And in most cases the process doesn't come back with anything that really changes our mind much [about the severity of the penalties]. We do our job and the due process exists for others to have an opportunity for others to listen to it and decisions are made to it." While disappointed in [the reductions of penalties to Penske & Gibbs], Helton stands by the original penalties and says NASCAR would respond in a similar way if faced with the same violations. He added that the rules may be written even more specific in the future so teams and those involved in the appeals process understand more clearly why the penalties were given. "First of all, the integrity of the appeal process needs to be maintained as independent of the regulating arm of NASCAR,'' Helton said. "But we do learn from the appeal process as to how we may be able to write or be more clear so that you can show a third party why we reacted the way we reacted."(ESPN)(5-11-2013)

In wake of Boston bombings, NASCAR asks teams to be more vigilant: In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, NASCAR teams have been warned by the sanctioning body to be on the lookout for errant backpacks and other packages in the garage area. NASCAR called a special, crew chiefs-only meeting Saturday morning at Richmond International Raceway, asking race teams to increase their level of vigilance this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and beyond. The warning is not believed to be the result of any specific threat against NASCAR or Talladega Superspeedway, but part of a broader focus on safety at major sporting events across the country. "They asked us to keep our eyes open," said one NASCAR crewman, on the condition of anonymity. "They want us to monitor our garage stalls more closely, to make sure there is nothing there that doesn't belong. I didn't get the impression that there was any specific threat," he said. "It was just a request to stay vigilant."(Godfather Motorsports)(4-30-2013)

NASCAR not planning any changes to Gen-6 cars: Thursday at Texas Motor Speedway Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, was asked if NASCAR is planning any rules changes for the new Gen-6 cars;
PEMBERTON: I don't think so. I think we're in a fairly good spot. The teams -- one of the things we've learned over the years is if you keep moving the targets, people have a tendency to -- it's harder for them to keep chasing that. We feel like the playing field is fairly level. It looks like everybody has an equal opportunity to compete, and we don't feel like that the teams are -- they're done developing their own packages for this car. And as long as the input is -- it's still pretty rock solid as far as being positive, they've got plenty to work with, we feel like there's no reason to move the target on them right now.(NASCAR)(4-12-2013)

NASCAR will evaluate future race sponsorships: With the NRA 500 drawing attention just for the name of the race, NASCAR will take a closer look at race sponsorships in the future, the sanctioning body said in a statement Thursday. Tracks negotiate their own naming rights deals, and Texas Motor Speedway announced last month that the National Rifle Association would sponsor its Sprint Cup Series race, scheduled for Saturday night. The sanctioning agreement tracks have with NASCAR states that "NASCAR reserves the right to approve or disapprove any advertising, sponsorship or similar agreement in connection with the event." NASCAR approved the sponsorship, and Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said Thursday there has been no public outcry over the sponsorship. But NASCAR spokesman David Higdon released a statement that indicated the timing of a sponsorship and the perception of NASCAR will be used to determine whether to approve race sponsorships in the future. "The NRA's sponsorship of the event at Texas Motor Speedway fit within existing parameters that NASCAR affords tracks in securing partnerships," the NASCAR statement said. "However, this situation has made it clear that we need to take a closer look at our approval process moving forward, as current circumstances need to be factored in when making decisions."(Sporting News)(4-12-2013)

Liberty Tire Recycling Joins NASCAR Green: As part of NASCAR Race to Green, a month-long, industry-wide effort to reduce the sport's carbon footprint, NASCAR and Liberty Tire Recycling announced a new partnership that designates the tire recycling services provider as the Official Tire Recycler of NASCAR Green. NASCAR has the largest recycling program in sports, including a comprehensive effort that accounts for approximately 120,000 Goodyear tires recycled across NASCAR's top three national series each year. Liberty Tire Recycling will join other Official NASCAR Green partners, which comprise a comprehensive recycling program, including Coca-Cola, MillerCoors, Creative Recycling, Goodyear, Safety-Kleen, and Sprint. In conjunction with the NASCAR Green Clean Air Tree Planting Program Delivered by UPS, an initiative that will neutralize the carbon emissions of all of the racing in NASCAR's three national series, Liberty Tire Recycling will provide GroundSmart Mulch that will enhance the landscaping of trees that are donated to areas of need throughout the country. The rubber mulch lasts longer than its wood mulch counterpart and prevents soil from washing away. Additionally, Liberty Tire Recycling products, such as rubberized asphalt will be used to repave racetracks and parking lots at NASCAR Home Track racetracks across the country.(NASCAR)(4-11-2013)

Pit Crew Challenge cancelled: NASCAR will not conduct its All-Star Pit Crew Challenge this year as it was unable to land sponsorship for the event. The event, a staple of NASCAR's all-star week since 2005, featured pit crews competing in an arena setting where they would jack cars, change tires and push cars across the arena floor. The results of the pit crew challenge had been used to determine the order that teams selected pit stalls for the all-star race. NASCAR will use qualifying results—just as it does for all regular-season events—to determine pit-stall selection order for the all-star race, which is scheduled for May 18 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Craftsman and then Sprint had sponsored the pit crew challenge throughout the years, but Sprint reallocated its money to sponsor the season-opening exhibition Sprint Unlimited race at Daytona International Speedway. NASCAR officials have said since January that they were looking for a sponsor to continue the event.(Sporting News)(4-10-2013)

NASCAR launches additional environmental initiatives: As racing season shifts gears into April, NASCAR is launching two programs further bolstering the sustainability efforts the sanctioning body, industry, and a wide range of partners have in place to help reduce the sport's carbon footprint. Headlining the month-long NASCAR Green initiative leading up to Earth Day and Arbor Day are two signature programs designed to help drive more sustainable behavior within the sport. NASCAR Race to Green will galvanize teams, tracks, drivers, Official NASCAR Partners, and most importantly fans, around the theme of protecting and preserving our environment. The NASCAR Green Clean Air Tree Planting Program Delivered by UPS will plant trees to absorb carbon emissions equivalent to all of the racing in NASCAR's three national series for the entire season. One mature tree over the course of its lifetime absorbs about one metric ton of carbon dioxide, the same amount of carbon dioxide emitted by a NASCAR Sprint Cup car driving 500 miles. NASCAR Race to Green includes a call-to-action for fans and the industry to pledge trees that will be planted across the country as well as in a number of areas recently devastated by natural disasters. As presenting sponsor of the NASCAR Green Clean Air Tree Planting Program, UPS has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to commit to plant more than 8,000 trees - including 90 in each market where the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races for the remainder of 2013. Additionally, UPS will serve as presenting sponsor for the NASCAR Green Summit later this fall.(NASCAR)(4-3-2013)

NASCAR video slots take center stage at Gaming Tradeshow & Convention: Bally Technologies’ new NASCAR video slots and Virtual Racing NASCAR application are taking center stage at the NIGA Indian Gaming 2013 Tradeshow & Convention in Phoenix, Ariz. March 24-27, getting ready to bring the horsepower of America’s most popular spectator sport to casino floors everywhere. “We always look forward to NIGA and showcasing our newest games, systems, and interactive technology to our important partners in tribal gaming,” said Ramesh Srinivasan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bally Technologies. “NIGA is the perfect stage to highlight the power of brands like NASCAR and Pawn Stars when combined with Bally’s sleek slot cabinets, high-performing math, and engaging play mechanics.” Srinivasan added that this year, Bally is bringing tribal operators the power of the NASCAR brand across both games and systems through the NASCAR Video Slots and Virtual Racing NASCAR, a floor-wide bonusing application that enables casinos to run a virtual race on nearly every game device – without interrupting gameplay. Bally’s NASCAR innovations, along with nearly 60 unique game titles and a host of award-winning systems and interactive products, will be spotlighted in booth no. 412 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Bally’s product suite is designed to optimize performance for operators and deliver unparalleled player excitement.(Casino City Times)(3-21-2013)

Sunday's flyover could be the last for a while: Sunday's military flyover before the Kobalt Tools 400 might have been the last flyover at a NASCAR race. With $85 billion in federal budget cuts possibly going into effect soon, flyovers would be grounded by the government's sequestration process, which includes about 30 percent in military budget cuts. "The Thunderbirds are expected to stand down effective April 1. (Las Vegas) is pretty much going to be, I think, the last flyover you'll see for a while from us," Wendy Varhegyi, chief of the engagement division for Air Force public affairs, told USA Today Sports. Varhegyi said the cutbacks would last at least through the end of the fiscal year (Sept. 30). "And then at that point, we'll reevaluate. … Sequestration is a 10-year problem, so we just don't know." The Air Force conducts about 1,000 flyover per year, Varhegyi said.(Sporting News)(3-11-2013)

Problems With NASCAR's High Tech Inspection Process? There is more to NASCAR's newest inspection device than meets the eye. The device, a laser system to measure particular parts of a Ford, Toyota or Chevrolet headed out to qualify or race, is causing some serious head scratching from a larger number of race teams then might be expected. Privately numerous team members are raising serious concerns over the ability of the device to be consistent from week to week. There are growing concerns transportation of the device from track to track is enough to cause issues each and every week. Publicly, no one is vocally complaining. Privately, the words are different.(see full story at RPM2Night)(3-3-2013)

NASCAR to evaluate 'Gen 6' cars: NASCAR plans to meet with Sprint Cup teams to discuss whether tweaks are needed to the new "Gen 6" car before the next restrictor plate race. "We'll do one-on-ones on that and see what they think," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president for competition, on Tuesday. "A lot of people have opinions. The racing was as old school as it gets. If there's some things we're encouraged to look at, we will. Once you get a race under your belt, even as a competitor, you would work on things once you got a race of that length under your belt." Pemberton said the main issue appeared to be the lack of movement on the inside lane. Many fans complained the race was boring due to the lack of passing. "Some of the stuff we were told is they could run 10 to 20 laps on the bottom, and then it went away on them," Pemberton said. "It was in short spurts. We know that's something they need." For about 75% of the race, the cars ran in single file on the top lane. Many drivers were frustrated about the inability to move forward when they moved to the bottom line, and that fellow competitors weren't willing to go to the bottom line with them. Pemberton said it's too early to determine whether a test will be added before the next plate race, May 5 at Talladega Superspeedway. He noted that despite their similarity in length -- 2.5 miles for Daytona, 2.66 for Talladega -- they are "so different racetracks."(ESPN)(2-27-2013)

NASCAR, Speedway to oversee Daytona NNS crash probe: An investigation into the crash that injured 28 fans when debris flew into the grandstands at Daytona International Speedway will be conducted by the track and NASCAR, and not by any outside agency. NASCAR and Speedway officials said Monday they would dedicate significant time and resources into investigating what could be done to prevent a repeat of the crash and determine if any safety improvements are needed to protect fans -- their "number one priority." The Speedway and NASCAR, which governs and sanctions stock car racing, said they have no timetable for completing the investigation. But they said no government agency would be called in nor would they be required to file reports with any public agency. NASCAR will dedicate "significant time and resources into getting the right answer," said David Higdon, NASCAR's managing director, integrated marketing communications, adding it may take days, weeks or even months to complete the review.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(2-26-2013)

Military cuts could limit flyovers: The military flyover for Sunday's Daytona 500 may be a rarity at NASCAR events -- and sporting events in general -- moving forward. Military spending cuts of 30 percent have forced the Air Force to trim flying hours by 18%. That will come from air shows, including the Thunderbirds aerobatic flying team that will perform prior to Daytona 500. Daytona International Speedway did not have its traditional flyover for the Rolex 24, Thursday's 150-mile qualifying races, and one is not planned for Saturday's Nationwide Series race. There is a plan in place if automatic budget cuts known as "sequestration" are triggered on March 1 to suspend all Air Force flyovers immediately except for the Thunderbirds, which will be suspended on April 1. "If sequestration kicks in, we'll be looking not to support any future NASCAR races," Wendy Varhegyi, the chief of the engagement division for Air Force public affairs, told ESPN.com. Varhegyi said the suspension of flyovers would include all sports "at least through the end of the fiscal year [Sept. 30]." Luke Air Force was not allowed to provide a flyover for the March 3 Sprint Cup race at Phoenix. Instead, a private company has provided the track a B-17 that is not a part of Air Force inventory. Las Vegas Motor Speedway has an agreement with the Thunderbirds based nearby at Nellis Air Force Base for its March 10 Cup event. But Speedway Motorsports, which hosts 11 other Cup events in addition to the Vegas race, has a "tentative hold" on flyovers. NASCAR officials said they are working with the military and tracks to find a compromise that will allow flyovers to remain at events.(ESPN)(2-23-2013)

UPS, NASCAR Work to Give Racing a ‘Greener’ Image: UPS is rolling out a new truck used for trackside deliveries in time for the Daytona 500. Beginning with this season’s opening events at Daytona International Speedway in the lead-up to next weekend’s Daytona 500, the UPS Trackside Services will operate using a diesel exhaust fluid, or D.E.F. system to reduce exhaust particulate emissions. The truck pulls a trailer that is equipped with solar panels to help generate sustainable energy needed to keep its operations going. UPS also uses a miniature package car that makes pick-ups and deliveries throughout the race weekend. This year, the mini car is battery-powered. UPS has provided special pick-up and delivery services for race teams, sponsors, officials, vendors and news media at NASCAR events for years. In 2012 the company began developing plans to further reduce the environmental impact of its Trackside Services operation. The move reflects NASCAR’s broader effort to develop a more environmentally friendly image.(Wall Street Journal)(2-22-2013)

Problems with NASCAR's new laser inspection system on Sunday: NASCAR experienced issues on Sunday morning with its new laser inspection platform, which measures cars at the track. The software problem had most of the Daytona 500 qualifying field backed up outside of the inspection bay for more than an hour before officials elected to return to the manual route. "Early this morning, we experienced start-up issues with the laser inspection platform ... but the two systems parallel each other," NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said. "We're working through those things right now. Inspection went along fine. We got qualifying started on schedule, and hopefully we can have it back up and running the next time we need to use it. It is a new system. We put it through a lot of testing late last year — as a parallel test at Talladega, Martinsville, Charlotte. It's been at the R&D Center. Teams have used it. Sometimes you experience these things with a new device. We've got good people working on it that know what they’re doing. Hopefully we'll get resolved sooner than later."(FoxSports)(2-18-2013)

NASCAR Speedpark in Concord NC closes, could reopen elsewhere: When NASCAR SpeedPark at Concord Mills closed on Feb. 8, it opened up a space for a proposed $10 million aquarium at the site. The proposed Sea Life aquarium, which has been proposed for the old NASCAR SpeedPark site, was expected to receive approval from the Concord City Council on Thursday night for an economic development grant. Cabarrus County commissioners approved an economic development grant for the project in January, saying it would round out the tourism appeal at Concord’s Exit 49 on Interstate 85. The aquarium is expected to draw as many as 350,000 additional tourists to the area each year. Already, that exit is home to Concord Mills, which reports 17 million to 18 million visits per year, and is the main drag leading to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Great Wolf Lodge, with its indoor waterpark, is another prime attraction at the exit. “As the Concord Mills Mall prepares to bring new attractions to the property, the space that is currently occupied by NASCAR SpeedPark is being recaptured and renovated. … We are actively seeking a new location in the Charlotte market to reopen our park,” NASCAR SpeedPark officials said in a statement about the closing posted on its Facebook page. NASCAR SpeedPark’s proposed replacement, Sea Life, is the world’s largest aquarium brand with more than 30 attractions around the world.( Independent Tribune)(2-15-2013)

NASCAR likely to make concussion test mandatory: NASCAR is on pace to make neurological baseline testing, used to determine whether there is a loss of function after a head injury, a mandatory part of the preseason physical by 2014. Vice president of race operations Steve O'Donnell told ESPN.com on Thursday that drivers are being encouraged to take the ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) baseline test on a voluntary basis this year with plans to become mandatory by next year. Baseline testing already is used in the IndyCar Series and other forms of motorsports. It was brought to light in NASCAR last season when #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. was forced to sit out two races in the Chase after suffering a concussion at Talladega Superspeedway. O'Donnell said the decision to move forward with baseline testing came after NASCAR officials recently met with the organization's panel of doctors and neurologists. "The decision was made that they thought we should look into this, but we really needed to educate the driver first, how decisions are made, that it's not just made on the ImPACT test [that determines if a driver should be parked]," O'Donnell said. "We're encouraging everyone to do one this year, most likely to be required prior to 2014." The ImPACT test provides a baseline for neurologists to determine brain function prior to a concussion. It is then measured against another test after a wreck or head injury to determine whether a concussion has occurred and its severity. O'Donnell said NASCAR is looking by then at the potential of having ImPACT equipment at the track that can instantly measure whether a driver has suffered a concussion. But he made it clear the test isn't the final factor in determining whether a driver should be parked. O'Donnell said plans are being made to bring the equipment to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the May All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 to help further educate drivers on how it works.(ESPN)(2-14-2013)

NASCAR limiting driver radio communication: NASCAR will limit a driver’s communication to just his/her crew starting this season. Last year, NASCAR banned radio communication between drivers. Now the driver cannot talk to the crew chief or any members of other teams, NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said. On the analog channel that a driver uses, only his crew (those assigned to his car number) can use that channel. A driver can still talk to his team owner, who will be allowed to talk with any of the owner’s drivers and crews. Many teams use digital radios—illegal for communication with the driver—to talk privately among themselves before delivering messages to the driver. The new rule is designed to make sure that drivers are focused on performance and not on switching radio channels or listening to several voices.(Sporting News)(2-14-2013)

New qualifying format should pump excitement into Duels: Even at first glance, it's obvious that changes to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying format will add two important aspects to the process -- opportunity and suspense. Nowhere will that be more in evidence than at Daytona International Speedway, where Cup teams will begin preparation for the Feb. 24 season-opening Daytona 500 this weekend. The scrapping of the top-35 rule, which guaranteed starting spots in every Cup race to the top 35 cars in the owner standings, by definition broadens the opportunity to make the field. In the case of Daytona, it also injects a level of suspense and excitement into the Budweiser Duel 150 qualifying races that's been minimized in the era of the top-35 rule.
For every Cup race this season, the 36 fastest cars will make the field. Rather than, say, 13 go-or-go-homers (non-exempt cars) competing for a maximum of eight starting spots, every team that takes to the track knows one thing. If you're among the 36 fastest, you're in the race. Period. The next six positions -- provisional starting spots -- go to the top six cars in owner points that haven't qualified on speed. The 43rd position is reserved for a past champion not other qualified, provided he participated in the Cup series during the previous season. If there's no past champion to fill the final spot, it goes to the seventh car in the owners' standings not otherwise qualified.
For the Daytona 500 and its unique qualifying format, here's what to watch: As in the past, the front row will be locked in on pole day, Sunday, Feb. 17. After time trials, the starting positions of the fastest two cars will be set, on the pole and on the outside of the front row. The pole winner will lead odd-numbered qualifiers (positions 3, 5, 7, etc.) to the green flag in the first Duel on Feb. 21. The second-place car in time trials will pace the even-number qualifiers in the second Duel.
The top six qualifiers on Sunday are locked into the race on speed no matter what, but the starting position of the third-through-sixth-place qualifiers won't be determined until the Duels are run. For the past eight seasons, with 35 cars locked in before they ever got to the race track, the functional purpose of the Duels was to set the starting order and to determine which two back markers from each race would ride shotgun on the field at the start of the Daytona 500. This year, things have changed -- dramatically. The Duels will now determine not only the starting positions of the first 32 cars but also who actually makes the race. Finish in the top 15 in your Duel, and you're in the Daytona 500 -- simple as that.
Positions 33-36 are filled by the four fastest cars from time trials that 1) aren't on the front row and 2) don't transfer from the Duels. Positions 37-42 go to the top six cars in owner points not otherwise qualified. The final spot goes to a past champion or a seventh provisional starter, as with the general procedure for all races. If the new format multiplies the suspense of the Duels from a fan's standpoint, it also will lead to some white knuckles inside the race cars. A major wreck in one of the Duels, one that involves a number of top drivers, could create havoc with the starting field.(NASCAR Wire)(2-12-2013)

Elgin Sweeper Introduces Crosswind Specialty Track Sweeper: Elgin Sweeper has introduced a modified Crosswind Specialty Track Sweeper that is set to make its debut at NASCAR racetracks around the country this racing season, beginning with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 24. The Track Sweeper plays a supporting role in a new racetrack drying initiative that features a combination of air power and vacuum suction to dry rain-soaked racetracks. The regenerative air Track Sweeper adapts features from Elgin Sweeper’s highly successful Crosswind GRS (glycol recovery sweeper), a special-purpose sweeper used to vacuum liquid glycol from airport runways. This specialty sweeper includes unique features developed for racetrack sweeping and maintenance applications, such as a side air-blast nozzle, a reverse sweep system, a 20,000 CFM-rated blower and a hydraulically-driven side broom with plastic bristles.
During track testing conducted in conjunction with NASCAR last November in Daytona, this same vacuum technology proved to efficiently vacuum water from the pores of the racetrack, and worked even better with the new track-drying technology designed by the NASCAR Research and Development Center. Working together to remove moisture from the track surface, both technologies dramatically accelerated the drying time. Developed as a more effective alternative to the current track-drying method, the system, featuring the Crosswind Track Sweeper, is expected to expedite the process.
The specialty sweeper was modified with input from racetrack officials in the NASCAR circuit. Elgin Sweeper representatives – along with Jeff Miles from Key Equipment & Supply Company, an Elgin Sweeper dealer based in Kansas City, Kans. – worked with NASCAR to address track maintenance issues, as well as fire, safety, medical and security concerns. A lifelong racing enthusiast, Miles is also a lead driver for the Richard Petty Driving Experience and has logged more than 350,000 miles in NASCAR-style stock cars. Traveling to tracks across the country has given Miles an added appreciation for clean track conditions.(much more info at prlog.org and at Elgin Sweeper's facebook)(2-11-2013)

Rule changes for 2013: NASCAR officials went over many of the new rules and policies for 2013 during a meeting with the media on Thursday. Past champion’s issue was among those discussed. Past Sprint Cup champions can use a past champion’s provisional only once every six races this season instead of having unlimited access to provisionals as in the past. Provisional starting spots are available to drivers who don’t make the field on speed under NASCAR’s new qualifying rules. Any past champion who ran at least one race the previous season starts the year with one provisional starting spot. Once a driver uses it, they must make six attempts to qualify before getting another past champion’s provisional — the driver would get use of the provisional at that sixth race.
NASCAR has changed the qualifying rules for Sprint Cup in 2013. Instead of the top 35 teams being locked into a race, only seven drivers will enter a race with a guaranteed a spot.
The first 36 spots will be based on qualifying speed, then six spots go to non-qualifiers based on owner points. The final spot goes to a past champion. If there’s no past champion, the final spot goes to the next driver based on owner points.
The change is only for Cup and not for the Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series. Those series have impound races and NASCAR did not want teams to feel they needed to run a qualifying setup to get into the race and then try to make race-setup adjustments on pit stops, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Thursday.
The Nationwide Series, which has cut its fields from 43 to 40 cars, will lock in the top 30 in owner points while the Camping World Truck Series will lock in the top 25 in owner points.
Among other new race weekend procedures for 2013:
• The qualifying order will be determined by random draw for Cup, while the qualifying order for Nationwide and truck will be the driver’s best speed from all practice sessions, slowest to fastest.
• For all three series, the current year’s owner points will be used starting with the fourth race of the season.
• For the Sprint Unlimited, the vote taken by fans at the track that day for the starting order will have three options. Those options have changed since the original announcement last month. The new options are career wins, 2012 driver points or pole speed that got them in the race.
• Gas men will not be able to make any adjustments to the car while fuel is going into the car. They can only make adjustments after the fuel can is disengaged from the gas intake. Several times last season, gas cans either remained attached to the cars or fell off the cars as the cars sped away.
(Sporting News)(2-9-2013)

NASCAR to reallocate prize money: NASCAR will reallocate prize money from the last five spots in the field this season in an attempt to make it less profitable for teams to start and park. "We moved prize money higher in the purse, so if someone's intent is solely to run a lap or two and park, the revenue stream shrinks,'' NASCAR president Mike Helton said Tuesday during an "Autoweek" panel discussion in Detroit. According to NASCAR, each position from 43rd through 39th will receive $4,000 less for each position. For example, 39th will receive $4,000 less than 38th, 40th $4,000 less than 39th, etc. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp emphasized this is not a reduction in purses, that the overall prize money in 2013 will increase slightly. He said the money taken away from the last five spots will be redistributed "throughout the remainder of the field.''(ESPN)(2-6-2013)

Some Rules Changes in 2013: NASCAR is going back in time with a series of changes related to qualifying and testing. Series officials met with Sprint Cup drivers and crew chiefs Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway to detail next year's changes.
• The top 35 rule, in existence since 2005, will be eliminated. This rule was in place to ensure teams in the top 35 in car owner points (and their sponsors) would be in the race in an era when 50 or more cars were attempting to qualify for races.
• The top 36 positions will be set by qualifying speed with the remaining spots set by provisionals, including a champion's provisional. Provisionals are based on car owner points rankings.
• A random draw will set the qualifying order. The past two seasons, the order was determined by speeds in the first practice session.
• Provisionals for the first three races next year will be based on the final car owner points standings this year instead of the first five races as in previous years.
• Each organization can test at four tracks of its choosing next season where NASCAR competes, the first time teams can do so since 2008. The series' sanctioning body banned testing in 2009, and since then teams could not test at tracks where NASCAR held races, but they could test on other tracks.(USA Today)(repost 1-27-2013)

New track dryers to be unveiled at Daytona: NASCAR will unveil next month at Daytona International Speedway a new piece of equipment that could revolutionize track drying. Twenty-four machines will be ready for Speedweeks events leading up to the Feb. 24 Daytona 500, executive Steve O'Donnell said. The equipment will rely on compressed air moving water off the track in a squeegee effect as opposed to traditional jet dryers that blow hot air onto the track. It also will include vacuums that will work in conjunction with the compressed air that would help dry a 2.5-mile track such as DIS in about 30 minutes -- 20% of the current time. DIS typically takes about 2.5 hours to dry. Last year's Daytona 500 was delayed until Monday night because of rain. "There's a few faces out here that will remember when we used to dry tracks off with just a fleet of vehicles going around the racetrack, or dragging tires behind pickup trucks,'' NASCAR president Mike Helton said. "And then someone came along with the jet dryer that expedited it quite a bit and served its purpose for a long period of time. "But in today's world with the expectations of getting the show done and getting it on, there was a high priority placed by [chairman] Brian [France] and the rest of us to come up with a way that we could expedite that. The R & D Center responded to that and come up with ideas, and this one seems to have quite a bit of validity to it.''
O'Donnell said the new device does not have a name yet. Unlike jet dryers, which were owned by individual tracks, he said the governing body has a patent on the new machine that gives it proprietary rights. O'Donnell said the equipment isn't quite to the level of efficiency that France asked for. Because of that, jet dryers also will be used at Daytona and perhaps ensuing races to help with the drying process. O'Donnell said the equipment could revolutionize the drying procedure for other venues in sports.(ESPN)(1-23-2013)

NASCAR Offers Glimpse Into Future: NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France took to the podium today at the NASCAR Hall of Fame during the sanctioning body's stop on the week-long media tour, and offered fans a robust menu of reasons why 2013 is one of the most anticipated campaigns in recent memory. The Gen-6 race car. … Innovative technology … And, of course, the drivers – from the rising young talents to the established stars. "This year with the new car, it adds that unbelievable excitement and anticipation," said France. "It's a great time. … and we're looking forward to a spectacular 2013."
Anticipation and competition – these were the two overriding themes from Tuesday afternoon's NASCAR press conference as part of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. An industry collaboration between the auto manufacturers, race teams, drivers and NASCAR, the Gen-6 car was central among the topics discussed among today's speakers.
"The amount of testing that NASCAR has done with the teams to get prepared with this car, and work on very specific areas to promote side-by-side racing at tracks other than the superspeedways, has been intense," said Mike Helton, NASCAR president. "On the computer, in the wind tunnel, at the race shops, at the R&D Center and at the race tracks, there's never been as much effort put into a car to get it ready to go racing. … For the drivers to say that we think this car is going to offer up the best racing we've seen, it's got us all going in the right direction, so we expect to see that."
Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition, was integral in the implementation of the Gen-6 race car. He joined France, Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O'Donnell and Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood on today's stage to preview the upcoming season. "I really believe we're going to see some of the most competitive, intense and exciting racing that we've seen in quite some time," Pemberton said. "We're excited about the direction we're headed with our competition."
France touched on a number of topics throughout his opening statements and the follow-up question-and-answer session with Helton. Chief among them was innovation, from the new race car to a faster, more environmentally friendly means of track drying.
"We'll be debuting … our first generation of [a new] track drying system," France said. "We are going to do it in a much more green, carbon emission friendly way. It's going to be a spectacular thing, and all of auto racing will benefit from this as we go down the road."(NASCAR PR), see the full transcript, info on the new track drying system and images of the Daytona International Speedway's redevelopment plans on the NASCAR Press Confercence - Media Tour 2013 page.(1-23-2013)

Harris Poll: NFL Is Still King Among Sports Fans: Pro football remains the most popular sport in the U.S., followed by baseball, college football, auto racing and basketball (pro and college), according to a just-released study from global market and research firm Harris. Pro football was picked No. 1 by 34% of those surveyed, which was down from 36% last year. But even with baseball up from last year (13%), the sport is still far behind at 16%. Pro football has gone up 10% in popularity since the first such Harris Poll in 1985 while baseball has gone down 7% over that time. The Harris Poll of 2,176 adults surveyed online between December 12 and 18, 2012 by Harris Interactive.(see full story at )(1-21-2013)

NASCAR using new laser device for inspection: Along with the development of the Gen-6 race car has been the development of the inspection process. The newest development now in place is the use of a laser device which measures “40 different positions”. The device, while similar to a process used in the Formula One series, is massive steps ahead. “There is no other system like this used in any other form of racing,” exclaimed John Darby, Managing Director of Competition and the Director of Sprint Cup Series. The race teams have known of the impending inspection change for close to six months. The media, and those who will visit the garage area during the races are getting a first look.(see more and a video of the inspection process at RPM2Night)(1-18-2013)

NASCAR considering European races: NASCAR has revealed that it would consider hosting exhibition races in Europe to boost the profile of stock-car racing in the region. European racing is dominated by single-seaters such as Formula One, as well as touring cars, while some of the most popular stock-car series there take place on dirt tracks. George Silbermann, NASCAR's vice president of regional and touring series, says that the purpose of hosting races in Europe would be to build up interest in the market. “NASCAR would consider future exhibition race opportunities in Europe as part of a broader strategy of promoting stock-car racing in a region and supporting existing efforts like our Euro Racecar NASCAR Touring Series, which is about to embark on its second season,” Silbermann told Autoweek. NASCAR's involvement with Euro Racecar explains its desire to rev-up European interest in stock-car racing.(more at AutoWeek)(1-18-2013)

NASCAR Launches State-Of-The-Art Fan And Media Engagement Center: NASCAR and HP today unveiled the new NASCAR Fan and Media Engagement Center presented by HP. This first-of-its-kind resource will enable NASCAR to better serve its industry, partners and fans through a cutting-edge technology platform that facilitates near real-time response and analytics of traditional, digital and social media. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France and HP Enterprise Services Vice President Charles Salameh were on hand to cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the center at NASCAR Plaza in Charlotte, N.C.
“The Fan and Media Engagement Center build has been a thorough process more than a year in the making, and we are excited to see it come to life,” France said. “We believe this tool has the potential to be the best of its kind in sports – the first ever to combine not only social, but also traditional and broadcast media analysis. We’ll be able to use this to help our industry and business partners and better connect with NASCAR fans across the world. It’s another example of our commitment to innovation.”
HP collaborated with NASCAR to design and build the Fan and Media Engagement Center. The center is a showpiece on the 8th floor of NASCAR Plaza, where NASCAR’s Digital team operates. Physical features of the FMEC include all-glass walls, a monitor bank of 13 47-inch HP displays, and the latest in touchscreen and AV technology. Behind the scenes, HP’s custom-developed technology and services, based on its Autonomy analytics solutions, is the engine that processes a massive amount of data into relevant, actionable insights.
“The FMEC is the culmination of a collaboration between NASCAR and HP,” said Salameh, vice president – Americas region, Communications, Media and Entertainment Industry, Enterprise Services, HP. “HP’s integrated solution not only benefits NASCAR’s complex ecosystem by allowing real-time data capture and analysis across a wide variety of media, traditional as well as digital, tailored to specific audiences within the industry.”
The FMEC will provide NASCAR the ability to monitor, analyze and better understand the current media landscape in order to respond more effectively and efficiently to fans and respond more rapidly to national, local and global media. Measurement also will be a key function of the Fan and Media Engagement Center. Those capabilities will expand across qualitative and quantitative measurements, including tonality, volume, proximity and other coverage attributes in regular reports the FMEC will generate for its industry.(NASCAR)(1-15-2013)

NASCAR tests at Kennedy Space Center: Research and development teams from Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing have discovered the NASA Shuttle Landing Facility just south of Daytona on Merritt Island in Brevard County — part of the Kennedy Space Center. The 15,000-foot concrete runway, built for the Space Shuttle landing in 1984, is ideal for straight-line testing — where teams gather aerodynamic data. It’s also more economically feasible than transporting cars from North Carolina to the proving grounds in Arizona. “We use the landing strip at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral just because it’s a long, smooth straightaway, and it’s warm, so in the wintertime you can test there with pretty controlled conditions,” Richard Childress Racing director of competition Dr. Eric Warren said. “You work out a relationship with those guys and pay for the use of the facilities — like any other testing facility. They have their own on-site emergency crews, so the safety side of it is really nice. It’s closer (than Arizona). The weather is warmer, and it’s a great wintertime alternative to going to places out West. Most of them are ovals and the straight-line facilities are up north — around Michigan and the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). We can do two straight-line segments there — as far as coast down. This place has plenty of distance.”(FoxSports)(1-13-2013)

NASCAR doesn't foresee major changes after successful Daytona test: The search for speed continued Saturday during the third day of Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway -- among NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers with their race cars still intact. After Friday's 12-car accident during drafting practice sent many teams packing, single-car runs were the order of the day among those who stayed for the duration. On NASCAR's part, this year's season-opening test was a sharp contrast to that of 2012, when the sanctioning body spent three days tinkering with the superspeedway rules package in an attempt to break up two-car drafts and to scale down speeds that exceeded 206 mph. Even though the Cup series is transitioning to a new Gen-6 race car, the 2013 sessions required little manipulation on NASCAR's part. Average lap speeds in the draft topped out at the 199.650 mph achieved Friday afternoon by 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne, and NASCAR was comfortable with the results.
"We're in the ballpark," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition. "We know the teams will go back, and they'll work and they'll bring a little bit better ‘this' and better ‘that.'…We're right in the ballpark, and we don't foresee any changes." Pemberton acknowledged that one consideration in designing the Gen-6 cars was breaking up the tandem racing, which was not a fan favorite. "When it was new, it was cool," Pemberton said of the aggressive two-car push-drafting. "When it was a couple races old, the coolness wore off of it. It was something that wasn't very normal for us. If you saw us last year at this time, we left this race track drafting at 206 miles an hour and went back and made rule changes based on trying to minimize the advantage of doing that (tandem drafting) and to minimize the appetite to do that, knowing that -- if it was the fastest way around -- you would do that late in the race to win the race."(NASCAR Wire Service)(1-13-2013)

Segway to target the NASCAR market: Segway Inc. announced that it’s ‘Teaming Up For Security’ with BCM Solutions, Inc., the motorsports industry’s largest security provider. BCM Solutions will deploy Segway Patrollers beginning with the 2013 and 2014 NASCAR and IndyCar race seasons to enhance its overall security efforts. Across all racing series, each season includes nearly 100 races throughout the United States.(Segway)(1-11-2013)

NASCAR will debut new track trying procedure: NASCAR will roll out a new track drying system this season that will dramatically speed up the process to get racing surfaces back to green-flag conditions following a rain shower. After NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France set a goal to improve drying times by 80 percent, the team at the Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., went to work on developing the new machine. "Our group in the R&D center went right to work on that," France said Tuesday night on "NASCAR Live." "We engaged third-party help and we'll have it for Daytona. We won't be at 80 percent, but we're going to be dramatically better with a whole new system on how to dry the track as much as 60 percent (faster) and we will get to the 80 percent goal." The ultimate goal is to see a superspeedway like Daytona International Speedway race-ready in 30 minutes rather than two hours and a short track like Martinsville Speedway completed in 15 minutes. France said the new air-powered machine that is followed by a vacuum system will not only be faster but better for the environment, eventually eliminating the current process of using jet dryers powered by kerosene jet fuel that's been in place since 1976. "We're patenting some technology that (uses) air pressure," France said. "Think of it as giant tanks, scuba tanks, that drive air out and blow water - or anything else - off the surface in a dramatically better way. It's a big solution. We're not (all the way) there yet, but it's ready now."(Motor Racing Network)(1-10-2013)

Study names NASCAR's Social Media Leaders: Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and #48-Jimmie Johnson are among NASCAR's strongest and most engaging users of social media, a new social media study of the NASCAR industry finds. The study – conducted by Tuckahoe Strategies, a strategic communications firm - scored drivers, teams and select NASCAR sponsors and partners on a 20-point scale. Joe Gibbs Racing topped the charts with a Social Media Score of 15 points, Hendrick trailed by one point at 14 points and Johnson scored 13 points.
Gibbs' online accounts comprise one of the broadest social media strategies for reaching fans of the sport. The team site, www.joegibbsracing.com, is up to date with timely features, and the homepage points to six social media platforms, including a mobile app for iPhone, Blackberry or Droid. The team maintains active social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and FourSquare. Hendrick also has an active and diverse menu of social media platforms including a mobile app. Gibbs' social media score bested Hendrick's by a single point because of its slightly more effective home page promotion of its social media platforms.
Johnson is the most comprehensive user of social media among drivers. He reaches his audience on a broad array of platforms including: Facebook, 657,062 page likes; Twitter, 348,402 followers; YouTube, 265 subscribers; and Instagram, with an industry-leading 60,618 followers. Johnson's social media reach (the sum of all social media followers across platforms) is 1,066,347. This veritable "media machine" has a following larger than the circulation of the Los Angeles Times, which is the fourth largest newspaper in the country.
The sport's largest audience holder and content curator across the board is NASCAR. The sanctioning body regained a voice and a direct connection to its fan base this year after repossessing control of its online assets in a January 2012 agreement with Turner Sports Interactive. NASCAR's total social media reach is an astronomical 5,044,070, more than double the daily circulation of the largest U.S. newspaper, The Wall Street Journal. In fact, NASCAR commands the industry's top position in terms of audience on Facebook likes (3,239,504), Twitter followers (841,027) and YouTube subscribers (5,430). The sanctioning body also has 1,420 followers on Pinterest and a staggering 956,689 circles on Google+.(Tuckahoe Strategies)(1-10-2013)

NASCAR credit included in "fiscal cliff" deal: UPDATE: The "fiscal cliff" deal reached by the Senate and the White House on New Year's Eve, and passed in legislative form by the Senate early New Year's Day, includes many giveaways to special interests--including an extension of a perk enjoyed by "motorsports entertainment complexes" otherwise known as the "NASCAR tax credit." The provision, under section 168(i)(15) of the federal tax code, allows speedways to write off their costs over seven years. Typically, such expensing occurs over a much longer period of time, from 15 to 39 years. The cost of the NASCAR tax credit to taxpayers has been estimated at some $40 million--over and above any tax incentives provided by state and local authorities. Hollywood films also enjoy a tax incentive extension in the "fiscal cliff" deal.(Breitbart)(1-2-2013)
UPDATE: Buried in the 154-page American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was a section renewing 31 business tax extenders, including a seven-year recovery period for motorsports entertainment complexes. The extension allows car, truck and motorcycle racing facilities across the nation to continue fully depreciating new capital assets – such as grandstands, concession stands and parking lots — over seven years. And that could be good news for the Daytona Beach area economy, an International Speedway Corp. official said Wednesday. It's a "very positive development," said Dan Houser, the company's chief financial officer, especially given the changes being proposed at the ISC-owned Daytona International Speedway. Last year, Speedway officials announced plans for a massive renovation and expansion on their 663-acre complex, including the demolition and reconstruction of the grandstands, and an entertainment complex that could include up to 2 million square feet of retail space, nightclubs and movie theaters. The measure helps keep ISC's plans on track, lessening the upfront tax hit of new construction.(Daytona Beach News-Journal)(1-3-2012)

Rules Changes in 2013: NASCAR is going back in time with a series of changes related to qualifying and testing. Series officials met with Sprint Cup drivers and crew chiefs Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway to detail next year's changes.
• The top 35 rule, in existence since 2005, will be eliminated. This rule was in place to ensure teams in the top 35 in car owner points (and their sponsors) would be in the race in an era when 50 or more cars were attempting to qualify for races.
• The top 36 positions will be set by qualifying speed with the remaining spots set by provisionals, including a champion's provisional. Provisionals are based on car owner points rankings.
• A random draw will set the qualifying order. The past two seasons, the order was determined by speeds in the first practice session.
• Provisionals for the first three races next year will be based on the final car owner points standings this year instead of the first five races as in previous years.
• Each organization can test at four tracks of its choosing next season where NASCAR competes, the first time teams can do so since 2008. The series' sanctioning body banned testing in 2009, and since then teams could not test at tracks where NASCAR held races, but they could test on other tracks.(USA Today)(10-6-2012)

NASCAR probation ends for many: As 2013 arrives, the sins of the past year are cast away for many in NASCAR. For those who acquired penalties, they often include "probation until Dec. 31." No matter the infraction discovered in pre-race inspection, post-race examination or some other time during a race weekend, all is forgiven, but certainly not forgotten, by series officials on Dec. 31. In the new year, defending Sprint Cup champion #2-Brad Keselowski is forgiven for his frisky phone at Daytona, #24-Jeff Gordon is absolved for his actions at Phoenix (at least by NASCAR, not so much by #15-Clint Bowyer) and #78-Kurt Busch, among others, is free to pursue his quest for victory without the threat of additional sanctions. Admittedly, the phrase "NASCAR probation'' has been used as a punch line by many in the sport through the years. While the ambiguity of what happens next if someone on NASCAR probation violates the rule is maddening to fans, NASCAR has shown, at times, probation can add to a penalty.(Sports Illustrated)(1-1-2013)

Correction - SBJs Most Influential List, France 13th: ESPN's President John Skipper tops Sportsbusiness Journal's annual list of the "50 Most Influential People In Sports Business" NASCAR's CEO Brian France is 13th.(Sportsbusiness Journal, need subscription to see all of list)(12-10-2012)