Competitors, owners optimistic over NASCAR improvements

BROOKLYN, Mich.

While competitors praise NASCAR for seeking their input on how to improve the racing, the car and other issues, the key is what series officials will do with those suggestions.

Drivers and car owners are optimistic NASCAR's actions will lead to better racing and help lift slumping attendance, sagging TV ratings and interest in the sport.

If nothing else, they suggest an attitude change throughout NASCAR, something that could enhance the racing.

A year ago at Michigan International Speedway - site of today's Sprint Cup race - series officials gathered Cup drivers and owners for a meeting lasting less than 10 minutes. NASCAR president Mike Helton lectured. The message was simple: Quit complaining publicly about the car and remember how good you have it.

Just a couple of weeks ago, NASCAR chairman Brian France and other series officials held town hall meetings with drivers and owners to gather, in part, ideas about how to improve the sport.

"I will tell you that if you were a fly on the wall and you went to one meeting you wouldn't think you were talking to the same people in the second meeting," Jeff Burton said.

"It's clear that a lot has changed in the world from one meeting to the next and so I think that NASCAR responds to things as to how they are going right now."

The town hall approach was something different. NASCAR claims it has an open-door policy for drivers, owners, and crew chiefs to meet with series officials anytime.

It's a nice idea but a bit Pollyannaish. Not every driver feels comfortable entering the NASCAR hauler at the track. Jimmie Johnson admitted "it took a championship or two for me to feel like I had the right to go in there."

And for those who did approach NASCAR, they felt they were heard but nothing changed.

Jim Hunter, a series spokesman, said the town hall meetings were helpful enough that NASCAR plans to have more, including at least another later this year.

That's being done, Hunter said, to improve communication between series officials and competitors. Hunter noted any change suggested has to be analyzed to see what other modifications are triggered. If it doesn't work, town hall meetings give NASCAR a forum to explain why to everyone at once.

"If they choose to disagree with that at that point, I don't think it would be fair of them to say that NASCAR wasn't listening," Hunter said.

Yet, that's what some suggest happened with the development of the current car. While NASCAR conferred with various people in the industry, Johnson and Greg Biffle both said many felt they weren't consulted.

"All the race teams and all the drivers probably wanted to have a little bit more input with that and maybe wanted it a little bit different," Biffle said.

The car isn't going away - the Nationwide series is expected to run the new generation model in select races next year - so starting over isn't an option. It would be too costly for teams. But, as Biffle said, "everybody knows you can improve anything.

"It's a matter of testing some issues. Test some wickers on the fenders. Test less weight (in the car). More left-side weight."

Already the town hall meetings proved fruitful for fans. After a discussion, series officials announced restarts would be altered, beginning last weekend at Pocono. Now, they're double-file with the lead-lap cars at the front instead of one lane lead-lap cars and the other lane for cars a lap down.

"That was one of the good things that came out of our meetings," car owner Richard Childress said.

Now, the question is what next will come out of those meetings?