BROOKLYN, Mich. — NASCAR President Mike Helton summoned Sprint Cup drivers and other team principles to a meeting before Friday’s practice session at Michigan Int’l Speedway.
The purpose of the meeting was essentially to tell the drivers to “shut up and race.”
Although those weren’t the exact words used by Helton, the message was clear that NASCAR officials are tired of hearing the constant criticism involving the new car, previously known as the “Car of Tomorrow.”
“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 when quizzed about the context of the meeting. “It reminds me a lot of working with video game developers. The reason why the analogy works is because the public wants to know how good the game is. The public wants to know what’s being fixed. Once the game is released, there’s a lot of bugs and stuff, just like with this race car.
“And the public wants to know when is it going to be fixed and what’s being worked on and what’s going to be added. And a lot of companies are not eager to give that information out until it’s done and finished.
“I see NASCAR with that same attitude.”
Earnhardt said he got the message that was delivered by Helton, that the new car remains a work in progress and that, over time, it will get better.
“I think that they do a lot of work behind the scenes and they probably agree with us more than we tend to believe,” Earnhardt said. “And they understand that the car is new and it’s going to evolve and we’re going to learn more.
“Maybe three years from now, we’ll look back at what we have today and go, ‘man, can you believe we had that car and that was the way we did it?’ because they’ll be some things we’ll find that will be just like ‘man, that’s way better. Let’s go in that direction.’ So I think they’re doing more than we give them credit for. They’re thinking and working and trying and wanting to improve; and that we drivers should do less complaining.”
Helton gave a “forceful reminder” to the drivers that he is tired of hearing the constant complaints about the race car, which was designed to provide increased safety to the competitors while making a more common chassis in an effort to contain costs.
While it has improved safety, critics say it has failed in containing costs and improving competition.
“I think it’s always great to be reminded. In my experience with Mike Helton, if he ever says anything, it’s been very valuable to me,” Earnhardt said. “And every time that man has spoken, I’ve benefited from it. It gave me a whole lot clearer view of the situation than I had. And I appreciate Mike and NASCAR for thinking it was a good opportunity today to have that.”
Earnhardt admitted he has been too vocal at times about the new car.
“I don’t know what the other drivers think. I just know what I think and what it did for me,” Earnhardt said. “I was pretty critical and overly critical at times. And the only reason why the drivers are like that is because we feel like our best avenue is through the media because it’s very effective.
“But at the same time, 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. As a driver, you just pent up the anguish that you have about the situation and you misinterpret NASCAR’s position and their approach and what they’re really doing. Like I said, they’re doing a lot with the car now. They are coming up with some new ideas and new ways to make the car not quite as sensitive in dirty air and they’ll be testing that soon, hopefully. I think it’s great that they feel like the car can evolve.”
Team owner Richard Petty was involved in the meeting.
“It was a chance to say, ‘Look guys, we’re all in this together. We’ve got to sell racing to them people up there,’” Petty said, pointing to the fans in the grandstands. “We have to make a positive spin on it, basically.
“The car is part of the problem, but we have to make the new car work.”
Not surprisingly, two-time champion Tony Stewart’s take on the meeting was a little different.
“Ask Mike Helton — I don’t know what we’re allowed to say and what we’re not,” Stewart said afer Sunday’s race. “I’m just thankful we’re allowed to be here and be a part of this. It’s just a privilege for us to be here, and according to Friday, we’ve all got it a lot better than a lot of us think.
“We’re not allowed to have opinions now. We’ve all got it made here. We’ve all got it great. At least, that is what we’ve all been told.”