For the second time in five days, NASCAR has changed the makeup of the Chase for the Sprint Cup due to manipulation of the sports regular-season finale. Saturday, officials will hold a meeting with drivers, owners, and crew chiefs with the goal of never having to alter the playoff again. [Penalties this week led] NASCAR to call a mandatory meeting of drivers, owners and crew chiefs Saturday at Chicagoland ‘to hopefully to address and make more clear the path going forward as it applies to the rules of racing and the ethical part of it’ according to NASCAR President Mike Helton. Teammates have always helped one another on the race track, abiding by a set of unspoken and undefined guidelines that have produced long-accepted tactics like allowing a driver to get a lap back, or allowing a driver to lead a lap to collect a bonus point. But with the championship field at stake, those actions become magnified “ which was certainly the case at Richmond, where Bowyer spun suspiciously on his own and Vickers pitted unexpectedly on the final restart, opening the door for Truex to collect a Chase berth. ‘Were going to have as much clarity to where the line is, and obviously we drew a line Monday night with the penalties with Michael Waltrip Racing’ France said. ‘So obviously what were going to do is & no matter what it takes, the integrity of the sport will never be in question. And thats what were going to make sure, that we have the right rules going forward that are clear so that the integrity of the competitive landscape of the events are not altered in a way or manipulated. And that will be what we will be addressing.” The meeting will be part of a process that will entail ‘clarifying in a significant way the rules of racing and the rules of the road going forward’ France added. He said the sanctioning body wants suggestions from competitors on how to do that.( NASCAR.com )
