NASCAR Cup drivers create advisory council, hope it’s a ‘conduit to communication’
As NASCAR navigates an era of monumental change, a group of drivers announced Friday it intends to have a collective say in the sport’s direction. The group has formed a Drivers Advisory Council that will communicate with the sanctioning body and other industry stakeholders.
Former driver Jeff Burton will lead the council. Six current Cup Series competitors — Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Corey LaJoie, Joey Logano and Daniel Suárez — and one former Cup driver, Kyle Petty, will serve as the group’s Board of Directors.
The newly formed Council is a self-described “independent group of eligible members” focused on “improving the areas of safety in motorsports, growing and enhancing the sport, and maximizing the opportunities for drivers to achieve success both on and off the track.”
Burton and Petty are analysts for NASCAR races on NBC. Hamlin is a co-owner of a team that Busch drives for.
Mending the relationship
According to NBC Sports, Burton said that he became aware of talks of an organized group representing drivers while at New Hampshire last summer, shortly after multiple drivers expressed their frustration over an announcement about Atlanta Motor Speedway’s reconfiguration. Drivers were critical about what they felt was a lack of consultation over the plans.
Hamlin at the time called the relationship between drivers and NASCAR stakeholders, including track operator Speedway Motorsports, “broken.”
“I just think that the drivers feel super disconnected,” Hamlin told reporters last July. “That our input is not asked. Not because we’re looking out for ourselves but I think what they’re trying to accomplish is not feasible under with the current configuration with what they’re going for.”
Not the first drivers’ council
Hamlin was among an earlier version of a peer-selected drivers council that formed in 2015 and lasted through the 2018 season. Burton told NBC Sports that the Atlanta situation, specifically, did not lead to the latest council formation, highlighting the many changes to the sport and series.
NASCAR this year is debuting its Next Gen car that is thought to revolutionize the industry and is coming off what has been widely seen as a successful exhibition race held for the first time at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“The lesson (from the previous council) was, OK, if you’re going to do it, you’ve got to have someone outside that can help,” Burton, whose official title is council director, told NBC Sports. “You have to have someone or a group of people make this happen.”
“The Council’s role is to gather as much information as possible, communicate that with the driver, be a conduit to communication, not a firewall,” he said. “We only want to enhance those communications.”
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Progress through collaboration
NASCAR has a history of opposing unionization efforts. Unlike most other professional sports, there is no union representing competitors, nor a collective bargaining agreement in place between NASCAR and drivers. In 1961, NASCAR banned former drivers Tim Flock and Curtis Turner for trying to unionize. In 1969, the sanctioning body brought in replacement drivers in response to a boycott by members of the Professional Drivers Association, which then disbanded.
Progress has been made in the relationship between NASCAR leadership and drivers since then, with the latest announcement highlighting the industry’s desire to collaborate. The Race Team Alliance (RTA), which is comprised of 14 top Cup Series teams, said it will support and work alongside the council.
“Collaboration is critical to our growth,” NASCAR chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell said in the release. “And we welcome any opportunity to strengthen communication with our drivers. We often look to drivers for input when making decisions that affect the sport, and the Drivers Advisory Council will help streamline that communication. Working together, we will continue to deliver the great NASCAR racing experience our fans expect and deserve.”
Logano, a member of the earlier council, highlighted “safety, fan experience, and a great on track product” as being among the topics the council will focus on.
Burton said that his work with NBC will continue and that he foresees the new role elevating race broadcasts.
NASCAR’s first Cup points race of the season is just over a week away with the Daytona 500 set for Feb. 20.
