Safety, the Garage and Pitroad: NASCAR is in the process of conducting safety discussions with the owners and principals for each of the tracks on the Winston Cup schedule. Topics include access plans and safety and security measures to be instituted in 2003. Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s vice president of communications, says NASCAR will be “very sensitive to the tracks’ needs, but we want to make the garage a more secure area than it has been.” Although pit tours still will be available, garage passes are expected to be limited to 25 to 30 per team and to about 75 per track for Winston Cup events. That does not include firefighters and safety personnel. In the past, there were no uniform rules involving issuing passes that covered the entire Winston Cup schedule. The garage also is expected to be closed to those without hard cards (season-long access passes) or garage passes during hot times: practice, qualifying and races.(Sporting News)(12-23-2002)
