NASCAR drivers announce council for safety, growth, opportunity
By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer
NASCAR Cup Series drivers, who at times last year appeared irritated that they were not consulted on issues involving racetrack construction or given timely information on the safety testing for the Next Gen car, have formed the Drivers Advisory Council.
Full-time Cup drivers, as well as part-time drivers who meet a to-be-determined criteria, are eligible to be part of the council. On Friday, the council announced its goals as improving safety, growing and enhancing the sport, and maximizing opportunity for drivers to achieve success on and off the track.
Former Cup driver Jeff Burton is directing the council, whose board consists of six current drivers — Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Corey LaJoie, Joey Logano and Daniel Suarez — and former driver Kyle Petty.
Burton oversaw the selection of the board, which includes two drivers whose average finish the past two years was between first and 10th in the standings, two drivers who finished between 11th and 20th and two drivers who finished between 21st and 30th.
"The new council will deliver a unified, collective voice from the drivers to help address any challenges we face and help accomplish the common goals the industry share," Hamlin said in a news release announcing the council formation.
Having Hamlin on the board is a sign that the group is approaching its role from a more collaborative rather than adversarial perspective with team owners and NASCAR. In addition to being a driver, Hamlin is co-owner of 23XI Racing and a member of the Race Team Alliance, the coalition of Cup team owners that represents their interest in the sport.
"We like that perspective," Burton told FOX Sports. "For this to work, we want perspectives of everybody. We want to understand the perspectives of a car owner. We want to understand the perspectives of NASCAR. We want to understand the perspectives of the industry.
"We actually view that as a strength."
Burton was viewed as a safety advocate as a driver and earned the nickname "The Mayor" due to his ability to speak effectively and persuasively about the needs of drivers.
"I’ve been fortunate to have many roles within the sport, and I’m excited to add this venture into the fold," Burton said in the news release.
"I’m humbled and honored that the drivers have asked me to help with this effort. I believe we have a great sport, and this council has the opportunity to work together with the entire industry to make it even better."
NASCAR has typically taken a dim view of any sort of driver union. It formed a driver council that met quarterly with NASCAR executives from 2015 to '18, but as NASCAR’s leadership changed, the effectiveness and necessity of the council appeared to diminish.
"Collaboration is critical to our growth, and we welcome any opportunity to strengthen communication with our drivers," NASCAR Executive Vice President Steve O’Donnell said in the news release.
"We often look to drivers for input when making decisions that affect the sport, and the Drivers Advisory Council will help streamline that communication."
In addition to safety and track configuration and preparation, one of the key topics on which NASCAR and the drivers likely need to collaborate is how to be the most effective — in both time spent and results — in using the drivers to help market the sport.
"Communication from drivers to other stakeholders in our industry has been a challenge for years," Logano said in the news release. "This will most definitely help clarify feedback from drivers and help move our sport forward."
Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass. Looking for more NASCAR content? Sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass!