After a long weekend at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway, NASCAR drivers and team owners were called to the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, N.C. for a town hall style meeting. Two separate meetings were held throughout the day and NASCAR encouraged everyone to express anything they felt was a pressing issue. Judging from the response from drivers and owners as they emerged from the first meeting, a wide variety of topics was addressed, with everyone describing a positive and constructive atmosphere.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France and President Mike Helton reportedly ran the open forum style meeting, with the floor open for questions and comments throughout the nearly two hour long session. According to Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s vice president of corporate communication, there were fifty-three seats and each of them was filled.

Among the drivers and owners in attendance for the day’s first meeting included Mark Martin, Rick Hendrick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs, J.D. Gibbs, Chip Ganassi, A.J. Allmendinger, Michael Waltrip, David Reutimann, Kasey Kahne, Tony Raines, Regan Smith, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Joe Nemechek, Bobby Labonte, Larry Gunselman and others.
The day’s second meeting was smaller than the first group and included the likes of Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Scott Speed.

Representing NASCAR was Brian France, Lisa Kennedy France, Mike Helton, Steve Phelps, Steve O’Donnell, John Darby, Jill Gregory, Ramsey Poston, Robin Pemberton and Jim Hunter.

Talking with members of the gathered media following the day’s first meeting, Hunter explained Tuesday’s get together marked a new form of communication between NASCAR and its competitors. Hunter went on to point out there were a number of differing opinions and the overall tone of the meeting was positive.

NASCAR made the decision to conduct these town hall type meetings a few weeks ago, but only informed teams last week. The owners and drivers were assigned to either the morning or afternoon session, but were willing to work with teams if there was conflict of schedules.

Hunter went on to say the decision was made to hold these meetings because there were “perceptions out there that needed to be clarified with competitors” and that he felt that was accomplished during the nearly two-hour meeting. The NASCAR spokesman would not go into details as to what those perceptions were.

In the past, NASCAR has not typically had large group meetings and most decisions were made by the France family and their court. Hunter explained Tuesday’s meetings marked a new era in communication.

“Historically we have not had a lot of group meetings with our owners, drivers and crew chiefs,” Hunter added. “The way times have changed this industry is so much bigger than it used to be and there are so many people are involved that this type of conversation, we think it’s necessary and we think it was very constructive.”

As far as what the drivers and owners had to say coming out of the meeting, few offered anything of substance. Most gave a similar response, saying a lot of issues were touched on and the overall mood was positive moving forward.

Former series champion Bobby Labonte pointed out things could be much worse and everyone is probably beating themselves up a bit more than they should.

As someone who came through the ranks in a different era, Labonte – along with a number of other drivers – pointed out racing today is much more competitive than ever.

The consensus amongst drivers was that NASCAR heard the concerns about the new car. Labonte explained many drivers wish the new car had come about a little bit different, but not that it is here the main issues is how to make it better without spending more money.

“I felt like it was a very productive meeting,” team owner Joe Gibbs told HardcoreRaceFans.com. “We’ve got a great sport here. I think we all recognize that. I think there were just different people that had a chance to voice some of the things we feel like where we are and some of the things we can do moving forward. I think it was very productive, very good.”

For Gibbs, Tuesday’s meeting was reminiscent of the league meetings held in the National Football League. 

“I think the general feeling was we would have more of these,” Gibbs said of the meeting. “The NFL gets together at league meetings and other times during the year, so I think this is a similar thing.”

Drivers Scott Riggs and Joe Nemechek took time after the day’s first meeting to speak with HardcoreRaceFans.com.

“I think it was probably the best kind of meeting they could have had,” Riggs told HardcoreRaceFans.com. “They actually sat around and listened to people and asking everyone their opinion on what we can do to make our sport better and continue to make racing better and make fans like it more.”

Riggs pointed out last year NASCAR went to the teams and drivers telling them to stop being so negative about the new car, but this time NASCAR was more open to hearing opinions on what needed to be done to make the car better.

“It was more about how to continue to make racing more exciting,” Riggs added. “How to make fans want to watch even more.”

“I think my biggest concern is number one, trying to find the funds to make the team be able to do more, and it’s tough,” Nemechek explained. “Just a lot of interesting things, hearing from the bigger companies – Rick Hendrick, Yates – you just hear from these guys about what’s going on in the sport and in other types of sports a lot of the challenges they have and it was a good meeting.”

The overall feeling amongst the drivers, owners and NASCAR officials was the town hall style meeting was a step in the right direction. While little was actually accomplished during the two meetings held on Tuesday, NASCAR and its competitors feel as if they understand each other more clearly and can now move forward to address the main issues facing the sport today.

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