Helton: NASCAR willing, able to change
Sunday, Jun. 07, 2009
Getty Images for NASCAR
AVONDALE, AZ - APRIL 17: NASCAR president Mike Helton stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on April 17, 2009 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Getty Images
AVONDALE, AZ - APRIL 17: NASCAR president Mike Helton (L) and Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, talk during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on April 17, 2009 in Avondale, AZ. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
Getty Images for NASCAR
CONCORD, NC - MAY 15: NASCAR CEO Brian France speaks with the media following practice for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 15, 2009 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
AP
NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France listens during a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Friday, May 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Bob Jordan)
AP
NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France speaks during a news conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Friday, May 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Bob Jordan)
LONG POND, Pa. - President Mike Helton says NASCAR officials could make more changes.
In an interview on TNT, Helton said the willingness of NASCAR officials to make such changes as the move to double-file restarts may not always be apparent to fans but should be to car owners and drivers.
"What the (state of the sport) meetings were in Concord, as much as anything, was to establish a newer, broader, better way of communicating with the stakeholders, and obviously car owners and drivers are a huge part of that," Helton said.
"It's also a matter of explaining that today we are all in a unique time, and it helped for the drivers and owners to hear the input we get from the fans."
NASCAR has a "fan council" with more than 12,000 members.
"Telling the drivers and owners what the fans are saying is important and it was a good opportunity to do that, and from that comes, 'What can you do for me now?'
"And that's the double-file restarts."
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