With the country on the verge of war, NASCAR teams and officials are considering contingency plans for travel to Fort Worth, Talladega and Los Angeles in the coming weeks. “I know that became a concern when we went to Dover last year, and I’m sure at some of these tracks there will be different restrictions that come up,” Robbie Loomis, Jeff Gordon’s crew chief, said. “It’s a pretty stressful time on all the folks in the military and their families right now.” Fox is expected to put Winston Cup races on its FX cable if or when war begins.( Winston Salem Journal )(3-14-2003) UPDATE: Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president of communications, also an Army veteran, addressed the topic of war and racing on Friday. “I have always felt that one of Bill France’s quotes was right on target on this subject,” Hunter said. “I can remember people asking ‘Bill, who are your fans?’ And he would say, ‘I’ll tell you who our fans are. They are the kind of people that win wars for you.’ And never has that been more true than today.” Hunter said NASCAR has monitored the expected showdown with Iraq for the last several months and has worked through several scenarios which includes postponing an event if necessary. “I don’t really want to speculate but certainly that would be an option and we’ve done it before,” Hunter said. “Just to arbitrarily do that, no. It depends on the circumstances, and what is best under those circumstances, not only what is best for the racing community but what is best for the country.”( Daytona Beach News Journal )(3-16-2003)
