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Wednesday, Jun. 18, 2008

Shutting up drivers a big mistake

Before the season began, NASCAR chairman Brian France said that the sport's goal this year was to get back to basics and have a sport that reminds fans why they started watching it in the first place.

NASCAR, apparently, is suffering from short-term memory loss judging by what happened in Friday's closed-door meeting at Michigan International Speedway, when officials apparently told drivers that they had heard enough of the complaining from drivers about the car being raced in the Sprint Cup Series.

Drivers were reportedly told to knock off the negative comments about the car and focus on the good things of the sport.

In other words, NASCAR said it doesn't care how difficult the car is to drive or how uncomfortable the summer heat is. It pretty much told the drivers to shut up and drive, and if they don't want to do that, NASCAR will find someone who will.

NASCAR probably was looking to use what some people call a Come to Jesus meeting to help paint the sport in a positive light, partially because of a lawsuit that has been filed against NASCAR by former Nationwide Series official Mauricia Grant.

Instead, the sport's officials are reinforcing a mind-set that having drivers allowed the speak their minds isn't nearly as important as influencing fans to either watch races on television or put a strain on their budgets to attend races.

Ironically, part of what has drawn fans to NASCAR throughout its history is the personality of its drivers to say whatever is on their minds, no matter the circumstances. NASCAR seemingly has forgotten that fact.

To tell the stars of the sport to cool off any negative talk about NASCAR creates a form of racing that is more vanilla than a gallon of Breyer's Ice Cream.

Following Friday's meeting, many drivers, not surprisingly, said what NASCAR wanted them to say when it comes to making negative comments about the sport.

"It's detrimental to all of us and to the sport," Carl Edwards told The Associated Press. "(NASCAR president Mike Helton) 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."

Fortunately, not all drivers are willing to speak NASCAR's company line and say all things that France, Helton and the rest of the sport's leading officials want them to say.

"We're not allowed to have opinions now," Tony Stewart told MRN Radio following Sunday's race. "We've all got it made here. We've all got it great, at least that is what we've all been told."

NASCAR not allowing drivers to speak their minds, even when they are ranting about bad things, is an insult the dreams and visions that people like Bill France Sr. and Junior Johnson had for the sport many years ago.

Of course NASCAR isn't perfect. But just because the sport's officials don't like what is being said doesn't mean the drivers should be muzzled.

If NASCAR wants to dilute the personality of outspoken drivers, it might was well rip the heart and soul of the sport out and throw it away.