NASCAR has heard enough, warns teams about criticism

Comments can be detrimetal to sport, drivers, owners are told in meeting

DAVID POOLE

Friday, Jun. 13, 2008

• Starting lineup | Cup points leaders on front row at Michigan
• Saturday's final practice | Johnson fastest in late session at MIS
• Saturday's first practice | Biffle fastest in early session at Michigan
• Officials, execs also meet | NASCAR tells inspectors, others not to talk about suit
• David Poole's blog | Accentuate the positive - or else

BROOKLYN, Mich. - Before going on the track Friday at Michigan International Speedway, Sprint Cup drivers were called on the carpet.

At an 11 a.m. meeting open to drivers and car owners only, NASCAR president Mike Helton apparently told participants in stock-car racing's top series to stop airing their displeasure over the new race car being used at all tracks for the first time this year.

"I took it that NASCAR is just frustrated that it's not getting a fair shake from us drivers," Denny Hamlin said. "We're jumping to conclusions ... and not giving this car enough time to develop."

Carl Edwards said he thought Helton merely wanted to remind Cup drivers that "we got it pretty good."

"You've got to be careful when you start complaining and whining and acting like things aren't that great," Edwards said. "It's detrimental to all of us and to the sport. He was making us aware of the weight of our comments, and you've got to take a moment and think about what we have here. I think that's a good little wake-up call there."

Morning rain gave way in time for Cup and Truck series to run their practice sessions Friday, but it returned after only 11 cars had turned laps in Cup qualifying. That washed out those times and the field for Sunday's LifeLock 400 was set based on the rulebook, putting Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton on the front row.

NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said there was no particular reason to select qualifying day at Michigan as the right time and place to have the drivers' meeting. Several drivers, however, talked after last week's race at Pocono about how hard it was to pass in the new car's first visit to that 2.5-mile track.

"We just felt like it would be a good time to sit down and talk about our 'going back to basics' theme for the year," Hunter said. "We wanted to remind them, don't forget the fans who are really going through a lot of hardships just to get to our races. We want them to remember the fans and remember why we are here, which is to race."

When word of the meeting first spread, some believed the drivers would be told what to say - or not to say - about a $225 million racial and sexual harassment suit filed Tuesday by former Nationwide Series official Mauricia Grant.

But Hunter said that issue was not discussed, and drivers who spoke about the meeting following an 11:30 a.m. practice said that was not the topic.

"My interpretation was that the drivers should be thankful for the position they're in and should be more positive in where this car is going to be in a year or two," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "I think NASCAR is doing more than we give it credit for. They're thinking and working and trying and wanting to improve, and that we should, us drivers, should do less complaining.

"I was pretty critical and overly critical at times, and the only reason why the drivers are like that is because they want, we feel like our best avenue is through the media because it's very effective. But at the same time not only NASCAR reads those opinions, and it's not good for the sport.

"If I enjoy what I do and I'm having fun and want to be here and want to be around for a while, I shouldn't tell people not to buy tickets."

Greg Biffle remembered a similar meeting in 2004 when drivers were called together and encouraged to rein in their early criticism of the Chase format for determining the series champion.

"They've brought us all together probably four or five times in six or seven years,," Biffle said. "If they're mad at us, it's drivers only. This meeting was drivers and owners, so they must not have been mad at us.

"I liked the meeting. It was more of an informational meeting for me, that 'Hey, if you guys have any issues, come to us. Let's make the car better, let's work together on it, not against each other."

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