NASCAR drivers split on revisions to respond to fans

Some drivers say NASCAR must alter some rules before this season to respond to fan criticism about the racing.

The comments come as NASCAR considers replacing the rear wing with a spoiler if it improves competition. NASCAR officials also might relax some rules at restrictor-plate races.

Last year, NASCAR Sprint Cup TV ratings declined on Fox (11 percent), TNT (9 percent) and ABC (8 percent). ESPN's ratings were up 5 percent.

"Right now, we need to do something" with the rules, Clint Bowyer said. "Our fans are not happy. You got to do something to cater to our fans.

"(NASCAR has) made a lot of changes on this car over the years, but nobody has been able to see them. You take a wing off the back, put a spoiler on it, a fan watching on TV can see that change. He's going to stay tuned and follow how that reacts and how it changes the sport going on into the season."

But Dale Earnhardt Jr. said: "The fans want to get rid of the wing, get the old spoiler back. I don't really know what that will do to the racing. I don't think it will change it a whole lot, myself.

"It could punch a little smaller hole in the air than the wing does and give us a little opportunity to get a little more grip on the front end, but it might do the opposite."

Yellow-line rule debate

NASCAR is also said to be looking at eliminating the yellow-line rule at restrictor-plate races. The yellow line on the inside of the track marks the out of bounds at Daytona and Talladega. Drivers who go below the line to pass can be penalized, as can drivers who force competitors there.

Some drivers have blamed the rule for recent last-lap accidents. Drivers, though, are split on whether to eliminate the rule.

"I'm comfortable if they take the yellow line rule," Tony Stewart said. "I think the drivers would be comfortable with it. We all know what it feels like when you get in the grass with tires with no grooves in them. It's not very fun. It's always been a self-policing deal."

Michael Waltrip, though, said eliminating the rule would be a mistake. "We've proven we're perfectly capable of wiping each other out with the yellow line. Taking it away, what are we trying to accomplish?"

How will Danica do?

Kyle Petty questions how well Danica Patrick will do in the Nationwide Series.

Patrick will continue to race full time in the Izod IndyCar Series while running about a dozen Nationwide events. She'll make her stock car debut at Daytona in the ARCA series on Feb. 6.

"She's not really shown over there (IndyCar) and won races and done the stuff over there, numbers wise; she's just a marketing machine," said Petty, an analyst for TNT. " I hope she's successful, but let's look at the facts and be blunt about it. She's going to help the sport. She's going to help the publicity of the sport. She's going to help a lot of that stuff. But in the end, will she perform on the right side? It's going to be all on her shoulders to do that.

"But, you know, she's coming into a situation where that car, the car she's getting in (at JR. Motorsports), has won races. If she gets in that car and doesn't win races, it's not the car, it's not the engines, the team. They only changed one thing."

Kyle Busch is less worried, saying: "I think she'll do fine. She's got plenty of resources behind her. She's got plenty of help to go to. She is kind of in the same organization with Hendrick Motorsports, so she has all those drivers to feed off of. I wish her the best."