NASCAR holds meeting to tell drivers lay off new car
By Joe Menzer, NASCAR.COM
June 13, 2008
04:33 PM EDT


BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Minutes before scheduled media availability sessions with drivers were about to begin Friday at Michigan International Speedway, word came down that NASCAR had orchestrated an abrupt change of plans.

All Sprint Cup drivers and car owners present were ordered to report to a meeting, where Mike Helton, president of NASCAR, was to hold court.

Was it about the $225 million lawsuit filed last Tuesday by a former NASCAR employee, alleging sexual and racial discrimination and wrongful termination? Was it about the new car, which continues to generate widespread complaints? Or was it about something else?

The answers to those questions depended on who was asked after the brief meeting, which lasted all of eight minutes.

Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications, insisted that the meeting was not called on the spur of the moment at the last minute. He also said it was all about reminding the drivers and car owners that the fans are the ones who really drive the sport.

"We've done periodic meetings with drivers over the years. We felt like it would be a good time to sit down," Hunter said. "We're going back to the basics, our theme for the year: don't forget the fans. The fans are really going through a lot of hardships with the price of gasoline and all the sorts of things they have to do to get to the races. We want them to remember the fans and to remember why we're here, and that's to race.

"That was pretty much it."

Hunter said the meeting had nothing at all to do with the lawsuit. He also denied that owners and drivers have been instructed not to talk about the lawsuit.

"This meeting had nothing to do with the lawsuit. Nothing. Go talk to the drivers," he said.

Well, first a stop was made at the NASCAR officials hauler, where Cup Series director John Darby reiterated that not only did the meeting have nothing to do with the lawsuit but also that drivers and car owners were not ordered to stop complaining about the new car.

"We wanted to make sure that the weather was good, and that the scheduled practice would start on time," said Darby, with the hint of a wink.

The drivers, on the other hand, didn't get the memo about the contents of the meeting. They said it was all about ceasing to air their complaints about the new car in public, and several said they didn't even recall any mention about working harder to reconnect with the fans.
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There are a lot of components to what we do. And one of those is taking the time -- because it doesn't take a lot of time -- but taking the time at the racetrack to keep the fans pumped up, keep them involved, make them feel like the drivers want them to be here, you know?
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JOHN DARBY

"It was just Helton reminding us that we've got it pretty good and you've got to be careful when you start complaining and whining and acting like things aren't great. It's detrimental to all of us and to the sport," said Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Ford. "So he was just making us aware of the weight of our comments, and saying you've got to take a moment and think about what we have here. I think it was a good little wake-up call."

Greg Biffle, Edwards' Roush Fenway Racing teammate and driver of the No. 16 Ford, added: "I think it was them saying, 'Hey, we haven't raced this car at all the racetracks yet.' I think that was the message. They were like, 'This is our first time at Michigan with it; we haven't been to Chicago and all these other places with the car yet. So don't jump to conclusions prior to actually seeing what it's going to be like.'"

Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota owned by Joe Gibbs Racing, agreed that in his view the meeting was all about quieting public criticism of the new car.

"It was just about the car and I think Mike [Helton] wanted to make sure everyone is on the same page," Hamlin said. "This is early in the building process and we don't need to rush to conclusions that this car is junk and it's never going to be any good -- because that's not going to be the case."

Hamlin added that he did not recall the fans coming up. Hunter and Darby, on the other hand, insisted that reconnecting with the fans was the main thrust of the meeting.

"I think periodically we sort of get on all the outside things," Hunter said. "We said earlier this year that we were going to focus on the racing, the competition. And so many times, things outside the competition seem to take over. And that's life. It's not the fault of anybody. I think it's good from time to time to remind them what we do, and that's put on the races for the fans. The fans are the reason we're all here."

Darby added: "There are a lot of components to what we do. And one of those is taking the time -- because it doesn't take a lot of time -- but taking the time at the racetrack to keep the fans pumped up, keep them involved, make them feel like the drivers want them to be here, you know?"

Asked if the sanctioning body felt the drivers had been getting away from that philosophy lately, Darby added: "No, not necessarily. It was just a good time to remind everyone of what we do, and who we do it for. They were very simply reminded that we are a fan-friendly sport, and that the participation of our fans affects them directly, and much like the guys that did it in 1948 and '58 and '68 and '78, they need to follow suit."

One of those guys from the early days who is still around is Richard Petty, the legendary driver who now is the head of the two-car operation at Petty Enterprises. He said he wasn't surprised the meeting was called; he was just surprised at the topic.

"I thought it was going to be about the lawsuit," he said.

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Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports... the rest are just games........ Earnest Hemmingway

Drivers complain of heat in car, but are they to blame?
By Raygan Swan, NASCAR.COM
June 13, 2008
02:12 PM EDT

Telling from a handful of red-faced, breathless drivers at the end of Pocono's 500-mile race last weekend, one of two things need to happen: Improve the new car's cooling and ventilation system, or drivers need to invest in a gym membership.

Flushed and winded as if he ran 500 miles as opposed to driving 500 miles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. could barely speak in his post-race interview.

Struggling to catch his breath, this was not the first time the sport's most popular driver looked distressed after a race.
Your Turn


Other drivers, including overly sweaty Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers, ignited questions as to where the real problem lies -- 500 miles in more than 90-degree heat, faulty car design or a lack of cardio on the drivers' part.

Hot around the collar, both literally and figuratively, Hamlin and Vickers ranted Sunday and, more or less, said the new car was an inferno on four wheels.

"Oh, double and away, they are too hot," said Vickers of his Toyota. "The problem is it's a team and competition and we want to keep the cars light and go fast but we're killing ourselves. We're going to the infield care center after the races and that's ridiculous. NASCAR needs to step in and say we have to do something to cool these cars down and help us. It is extremely freaking hot out there."

Drivers go to the infield care center, yes -- it's customary after crashes -- but I'm unaware of drivers flocking to there for heat exhaustion this season or last. Hamlin has been a handful of times, not because he crashes, but for what usually are flu symptoms.

Still, Hamlin agreed with Vickers and said the new car is the culprit: "They are hot. They are hotter than the old car, by far.

"Even the first time we got in these cars, I think me and Brian were at the very first test, at Charlotte, and it was just too hot. I don't know what the temperature inside the car is, the difference, but these cars are way hotter than the old car. The ventilation is not near as good, even though we have a bigger window, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it just does. I just think the way that the exhaust runs, the way that the exhaust has to run in the car, it's closer to the floor pan, and that's going to make the car hotter itself."

It's tough on us drivers. I was glad I wasn't the only one, either. I saw Brian [Vickers] and even Junior needed a second to breathe. It's just tough. We're trying as drivers to do everything we can to stay hydrated but these cars are just way too hot.
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Hamlin makes a valid point and driver discomforts should be taken seriously, addressed immediately in fact.

That said, I can't help but ask, where were all the complaints last season when track temperatures were nearly as hot, namely at tracks such as Phoenix International Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway?

The new car was first implemented in the March 25, 2007, race at Bristol and ran a partial schedule of 16 races.

Sunday's race winner Kasey Kahne is not the poster boy for fitness in the garage. He does, however, have a personal trainer, so whatever he is doing outside the track is working.

After the race, Kahne was fine. Be it his endurance or the cooling technologies in his car, Kahne wasn't in need of CPR after the race.

"I think our cars are good with heat. The guys work hard at the shop to make them as cool as they can underneath the seats and try to keep the exhaust heat away from me," he said. "I ran some different hoses [Sunday] to try to blow on my chest and things that I do when it's hot. I felt pretty good all day. My heart from about Lap 120 to the end was pumping pretty hard. I could feel it pumping, but it wasn't like I was overheating."

Two-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who has in the past touted his physical fitness as an asset in the car, said he felt fine after the race, great in fact.

"I feel great, it is just those first steps after 500 miles in a car, the belts are so tight and you are trying to get the blood back to your feet," Johnson said. "I was pushing the gas pedal so hard trying to catch the guys in front of me, my foot is asleep."

A tingling foot was all, but Johnson didn't complain of head exhaustion.

By all accounts and the extreme-sport mentality at Red Bull Racing, Vickers has always appeared to be in shape, but he still had major complaints about his condition in the car.

He said after the race he was "about to fall over."

"... And just knowing I'm not the only one makes me feel a little bit better," Vickers continued. "It's brutal. These cars, I don't know what we have to do as a sport ..."

Added Hamlin: "It's tough on us drivers. I was glad I wasn't the only one, either. I saw Brian and even Junior needed a second to breathe. It's just tough. We're trying as drivers to do everything we can to stay hydrated but these cars are just way too hot."

Kurt Busch echoed Hamlin's sentiments and said the temperature in the new car seems to be at least 15 to 20 degrees warmer than the old car.

Further, the Penske Racing driver said the new car is more physically demanding.

More reason to hit the gym, right?

Although Busch feels the drivers' complaints about the car will fall on deaf ears.

"Who knows what NASCAR can do," he said. "They don't seem to like to listen to the drivers."

Not the case, said Kerry Tharp, spokesperson for NASCAR.

"NASCAR listens to what the drivers have to say and continues to work with the teams in all aspects of safety and competition," he said.

Tharp added that teams typically do a variety of things to alleviate heat buildup in the cockpit of their car, including insulation of the exhaust under the floor pan around the driver and the routing of fresh air to the driver's helmet and other areas.

"Other important factors to consider are the driver's physical conditioning, diet and hydration prior to the race," Tharp added.

It will be interesting to see how the issue plays out in the coming weeks. Will changes be made to the new car, or will drivers re-examine their fitness levels?

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.

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Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports... the rest are just games........ Earnest Hemmingway

Harvick criticizes attitude of some young drivers
By MIKE HARRIS, AP Auto Racing Writer
1 hour, 0 minutes ago

Buzz Up PrintBROOKLYN, Mich. (AP)—Kevin Harvick isn’t impressed with the attitudes of some of the young drivers who have arrived in NASCAR in the last few years.

In the wake of a meeting on Friday in which NASCAR president Mike Helton asked drivers to complain less and be more mindful of the economic woes affecting fans, Harvick said Saturday a lot of the grousing is coming from drivers who haven’t been around long.

“There are a lot of them that disrespect the sport week in and week out and they act like a bunch of 18-year-old punks, which most of them probably are, and they just need to grow up,” Harvick said. “If we all move in the same direction, things will get better, as they would in any business, whether it’s the media or the drivers or the owners. Everybody here has the same goal and that’s to have a successful sport.”

The usually outspoken Harvick, once considered a bad boy in the sport, said the short meeting with Helton in the garage area at Michigan International Speedway was a good one.

“NASCAR talks to a lot of the drivers a lot of the time,” Harvick said. “It’s just a matter of how willing you are to go up and spend the time to talk about it. As young drivers … you don’t want to go up in the (NASCAR) trailer. It’s kind of like talking to your dad.

“When you turn 15, 16, or 17 years old, you kind of rebel against the whole situation, and a lot of the young guys in the garage don’t really understand what’s going on. And they’re really fast in the race car, but don’t really have a clue of everything that’s going on around them.”

Many of the recent complaints from Cup drivers have been about the Car of Tomorrow, which is being used for its first full season after a 16-race trial in 2007. Helton asked the drivers to be more patient and let the development of the car take place as the season goes on.

“Right now, there are some of them that, sure their car doesn’t drive like it was a couple of years ago. But this car was not intended to drive like the ones a couple of years ago,” Harvick said. “We were supposed to put more of the driver capability back in (their) hands. And if you go back a year and a half or two years ago, a lot of the guys just wanted to keep putting downforce in the car, put downforce in the car so they could hold the thing wide open.

“Well, that’s never been what NASCAR racing is all about. If they want something they can hold wide open, they need to go race IndyCars and ride around in a pack like that.”

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Just when I think you said the stupidest thing ever .....You keep talking
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If they really see the value and importance of their fans and understand their hardships especially with the price of gasoline that keeps on rising, seems to me they would at least lower their ticket prices.

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I like how tony put it, "Well I guess the car was good. Not sure what to say. yeah I liked the car cause that is what they told me to say"

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