Jeff Alan's

NASCAR RACING COMMENTARY

NASCAR Racing Commentary and Observations from Jeff Alan, Founder of the AD  NASCAR Family Community on America Online

Let's Talk

A driver intentionally wrecks or takes out his frustrations on another driver. A crash develops.  A feud. erupts. Tempers flare. Fingers are pointed. A tense situation in the garage develops. Words are exchanged. Fists are clenched. There is yelling. There are accusations. There are insults. Outside, the fans are screaming for justice as they cheer the driver that walks into another drivers' hauler after the incident.

This is happening almost too often on NASCAR Busch and Winston Cup circuits. What was pretty common ten years ago should be almost nonexistent in this day and age. With NASCAR's Public Relations machine so well tuned, it should be a rare occurrence when two drivers clash after a race.

When such unfortunate events arise, even if it doesn't result in a physical confrontation, the time bomb is usually diffused in NASCAR's ‘Command Post;' the center of NASCAR operations, that is at every race. In this custom-built trailer -- complete with all the amenities --- hot-headed drivers are brought into the presence of guys like Mike Helton, or Bill France when he's feeling up to it. If it's a technical violation, Gary Nelson is usually there. It's doubtful that anyone would even attempt to argue a call from Gary Nelson, even though his hair struggles to reach 5-6 in the wind.

Sealed off from the outside world, the driver is asked to explain his version of the events which led him to be standing in that trailer. The driver has two options; arrogance or confession. If he is adamant and arrogant about the actions he took, he is looked at as a troublemaker, heavily fined, and read the riot act --- either "shape up, or ship out." If he confesses his sins, admits the real reasons for his actions, and is willing to make amends in a sincere gesture to everyone involved, the driver can leave with anything from a "don't do it again, OK?" to a modest fine.

On certain occasions, if the driver committed a dangerous or deliberate act that surely affected the outcome of a race, that driver could not only be fined, but hit again in the pocketbook with a loss of position, or a loss of points, or both. There is no option in this incidence, although remorse and modesty may lessen the blow.

Almost not worth mentioning except for the fact that people are always asking if I have been in there (no, but I have talked to two drivers who have been there), or ‘what does it look like?'

There is nothing fancy about the room where all this takes place. It's innocuous. There is wood paneling that is broken only by two, small windows on each side. There is a small table, and plenty of comfortable seats. Carpet is on the floor. It's clean, it's cool. But there is nothing more to it.

NASCAR tightly controls who is in the room at the time a driver is in there. If a car owner or crew chief shows up and wants to talk, they (NASCAR) won't let him in until they are good and ready. Naturally, there are no press. Whatever comes out of the meeting, will come from NASCAR itself. And you can be sure that if some day --- maybe many years in the future ---- tapes of the conversations in that trailer are released, it will be purchased by every NASCAR fan on the planet. Heck, I'd be the first at the store when it opened. Until then, we have to rely on what NASCAR releases. And as you all know, that cannot be counted on as being accurate.

Many famous feuds of the past were settled, in what the press calls ‘The NASCAR Trailer.'

When Bill Elliott and Dale Earnhardt scraped at Charlotte (the ‘pass in the grass' incident) in 1987, each driver was brought to the trailer, and the equivalent of both damage control and peace negotiations were begun. The same thing took place at Martinsville last year when Tony Stewart started throwing heat deflectors at drivers. More recently, speaking of Stewart, he was tugged into the NASCAR Trailer after throwing a tantrum after the RIR race this past May.

And with all the very visible feuds that have taken place over the many storied years of NASCAR, you can bet that there are thousands of incidents that have led to meetings with NASCAR officials in some room, building, or space at the track, even before NASCAR had a mobile command post.

But, you know....... I look forward to the day when such meetings won't have to happen here. It would be so great if drivers would just wait until after the race is over, drive to some secluded spot in the country, get out, and just beat each others brains out and get their frustrations over with. Stop doing it on the track, in the garage, in the paddock, in the press. Stop making our sport look like the WWF or Major League Baseball. Stop making stupid mistakes on the track that can get someone killed because you lost your temper. Just go up to the other driver that you have a beef with and say ‘Let's Talk.'

See YOU at the Top!

Jeff Alan

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The comments and opinions on this website are those of the Author, and are not necessarily the views of the staff and management of NASCAR Family Chat, Athlete Direct, NASCAR Family Chat SuperSite, NASCAR, America Online or any of their agents, officers or employee's.