Sun Sentinel Broward Edition

Power shifting toward drivers

Midseason rule changes after council meeting a sign of changing times

- gdiaz@tribpub.com George Diaz

Traditiona­lly, NASCAR has treated drivers like little, annoying children.

Nobody pays much attention to them.

But it appears as if Brian France and Mike Helton must be taking some of those fancy, new-age parenting lessons. You know the type, where everybody is treated more as an equal. One of those “Don’t call me Daddy, call me Brian” deals.

We submit the first order of evidence: NASCAR will implement rule changes in the middle of the season, starting with the July 11 race at Kentucky Speedway.

So take that, skeptical types (including me) who mostly yawned about a meeting among a select group calling itself the “drivers’ council” and NASCAR officials at Dover in early June. I was thinking same ol’, same ol’. Obviously not. “We’ve been trying to get all of our drivers together for about a year now, trying to get all of our ideas in one room together,” Denny Hamlin, one of the council members, told reporters. “The drivers, we always talk among ourselves anyway, but having that line of communicat­ion to NASCAR has never been this open before.

“You look around the room and you’re like, wow, this is a monumental time ... where you’ve got the powers that be and some of the greatest drivers talking about how we can make this sport better.”

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing developmen­t officer, and Brent Dewar, chief operating officer, have been cited by those in the inner circle as the ones helping drive the

conversati­on on the management side.

Will the new aero package be a start in “making the sport better,” as Hamlin said? We’ll see in Kentucky, but the move is obviously designed to push the envelope toward more competitiv­e racing.

Lead changes have declined in 12 of the first 15 races this season compared with races at the same tracks last year. Only Texas, Atlanta and Bristol have seen more competitiv­e races.

This specific adjustment involves reducing downforce on cars by cutting the rear spoiler as well as other changes. The spoiler has been reduced to 31⁄ inches, the radiator pan will be 25 inches and the splitter will have 13⁄ inches less overhang.

“When all is said and done, I expect drivers will say they want the power back,” Fox analyst Darrell Waltrip said. “That’s what they are missing, and NASCAR is trying to disguise less power with these aero changes. In all my years as a driver, I always wanted more downforce and more horsepower.

“Rules packages like this tend to divide drivers. Some will like it and be able to handle the changes while others will hate it.

“It’s hard to strike a balance and please everyone.”

Waltrip was talking about power in race cars, of course.

But he could have easily been noting the human element of the NASCAR power structure.

People are finally listening.

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