NASCAR Talk

Looks like there will be some changes in the pits, and I don’t mean the tires (okay, I know, I’m not funny, but I couldn’t resist). Safety for the pit crews and drivers is the number one concern cited by the NASCAR officials as to the new rules, and they do honestly make sense, for once. Sometimes NASCAR comes up with some sketchy rules, but these I think I understand.

“Cars may not be pushed past the flag person at the end of the pit road. Unless otherwise authorized, once the race is underway, cars may be started by hand pushing in the pit area only, but under no circumstances is any car to be hand pushed more than three pit boxes away from their assigned pit box or into the acceleration zone or onto the race track from the pit area. Cars may not receive any assistance after the white flag has been displayed, except those cars making pit stops.”

Now, in my race viewing experience, this doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, I can’t help but feel sorry for those pit crew guys. You watch them push the car and driver down the entire length of pit road and still can’t get it started. Then they have to push the car all the way back to try it all over again. This new rule will definitely keep the crew members safer in this instance.

“A team member must be in contact with the outside tire(s) until the outside tire(s) reach the inside half of the pit box before the car leaves its assigned pit box. Any tires let in the outside half of the assigned pit box, or beyond, will result in a time or other penalty.”

Once again, good call by NASCAR. Tires seem to always be rolling away as they are pushed around in the box with no one to guide them. They fly off and hit other cars or other crew members and can cause accidents when the drivers swerve to miss them and instead hit a competitor, or worse, a crew member. Let’s not forget Michael Waltrip’s gas man who was sent to the hospital because of a runaway tire hitting him in the head at Dover this past season. I’m sure he’s happy about the new rules.

So these are a couple of changes I can live with. How about you? Good or bad ideas? Let me know in the comments.

NASCAR, NASCAR pit road rule changes