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Lee Spencer

Lee Spencer is the senior NASCAR writer for FOXSports.com. She has provided award-winning coverage of auto racing over the last 15 years. Spencer has lent her expertise to both television and radio and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM Radio and the Performance Racing Network.

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Updated Jan 22, 2009 4:58 PM ET
     
 
No matter what spin is used by the PR flacks from the sport's governing body, teams or even some members of the media, there's no denying this has been a tumultuous offseason for NASCAR. On Thursday, we will finally get a chance to get an official response from NASCAR's top brass about the issues plaguing the league. From the crippling economy to the competition side of the sport, there are plenty of topics where fans deserve to hear from the head honchos themselves. Below is a list of five issues we hope get addressed by NASCAR Chairman Brian France, President Mike Helton and the other dignitaries that will meet the press at the final event of the 2009 Lowe's Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour — the annual preseason NASCAR sneak peek held around the Charlotte, N.C., area. Got questions for NASCAR's bosses? Join the conversation here and let us know.

Who's the boss?

Speak up

You've read what we think NASCAR should answer. But what do you think? Got questions of your own you want answered? Let us know here.
This sounds like a simple question; unfortunately it is anything but: Who's steering the ship for NASCAR? With all the hope and optimism that is in this country with the new presidential administration, where is the spark we are missing in NASCAR? When you have a leader like Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress or Jack Roush who are there with you in the trenches week in and week out, you are going to work harder for them. They are every bit as much the boss as they are the father figure of the company, the motivator of the company, the common sense, the heart, the soul of the company. Who is that person in NASCAR? While the answer will likely point to the current chain of command, with chairman Brian France up top, the person steering the ship should have every bit as much passion for running the sport as the people who spend their hard-earned money to sit in the stands every weekend. Unlike his father and grandfather, Brian France just doesn't fit that bill. No time was it more evident than when he stated last December that he "will not have a 30-year run like my father for a variety of reasons. We have so many talented people in this sport, (which) I think wears you out. I don't think you're effective for 30 years." Does that sound like somebody that is as passionate about the sport as the fans in the stands? Let's assume the France family wants to keep NASCAR under its control, why not put Lesa France Kennedy in charge? She is considerably more like her father, Bill France Jr. — she is pragmatic, passionate, has a good head on her shoulders and a good head for business. Certainly, the personal losses France Kennedy suffered in 2007 had a tremendous effect on her and the sport, but she would be better suited as the head of NASCAR. Or is that person Jim France? The younger son of NASCAR founder William G. France shares the first and second generations' love of motorsports but despises the limelight. Insiders say Jim France's work behind the scenes has been invaluable, but we're still waiting to see the person behind the curtain. Somebody has got to stand up and take charge, somebody who can rally the troops and infuse enthusiasm to fans. That person is currently not in charge of NASCAR.

What's the status of the Sprint Cup Series car?

Is NASCAR willing to listen to drivers and crew chiefs in order to make the Sprint Cup Series race car better? Dale Earnhardt Jr. explained it best: There's always going to be 50 percent of people who like it and 50 percent who don't — and he's not a big fan of it. The sanctioning body should be working to fix that, not just to make their competitors happy but also improve the show for fans. NASCAR needs to find a way to get the input of the competitors as they search for a way to make the car better. Three-time defending championship winning crew chief Chad Knaus, for one, has said he has made suggestions to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director John Darby, but he won't share what the suggestions were because it's fallen on deaf ears and likely fears the repercussions. The guys in the garage who deal with the cars every day know the car model more intimately than even those who work in the NASCAR Research & Development Center. Unfortunately, nobody is listening to their suggestions. It's kind of like NASCAR enjoys being in their ivory tower and is not willing make changes to improve this car for the competitors. Unless you are working and competing with the car most every day, you really don't know what's going on with it. And right now, there are still too many drivers dissatisfied with the Car of Tomorrow.

What about the fans?

Having watched the multitude of empty seats at tracks throughout the country last year, one has to wonder if NASCAR will work more closely with tracks in the future to improve the product for fans? With budgets tightening throughout the country, many race fans will be faced with a tough decision when it comes to going to the track or staying home to save money. If the show doesn't improve, the choice will be pretty simple. One suggestion that could make a difference is adding an additional hour of practice and giving them an extra set of tires each weekend. That'll help alleviate the lack of testing this season and help teams put on the best possible show for the fans. This is particularly essential for the rookies — the stock answer about "drivers who have made it to the Sprint Cup Series rank shouldn't need any extra practice time" doesn't work anymore because rookies have little to no experience with the COT. Will NASCAR work closely with the tracks — and not just those run by its sister company International Speedway Corporation — to improve the on-track show?

What's the future of the Nationwide and Truck series?

Is the Camping World Truck Series viable enough to survive the 2009 season? Right now, things are looking pretty dire. There are a handful of fully funded teams and we'll have a full 36-truck field at Daytona, but what happens after that? "We'll have a full field for trucks," said one prominent owner in the series. "At Daytona." While we are on the subject, how about the Nationwide Series? The situation is not as bad, but there are similar worries about filling a 43-car field every week. On top of that, don't forget that the new car for the Nationwide Series is waiting in the wings and that'll be an extra expense for owners (despite the obvious benefit of increased safety). While not every owner would be a proponent of this suggestion, NASCAR could certainly afford to help out some teams in need right now by issuing a line of credit. Another way the governing body could help is by assisting teams in their search for sponsors. It's really tough for a team to find sponsorship as they are battling other competitors, tracks and sometimes even NASCAR itself. There are just not enough sponsors to go around right now.
Kudos should go to NASCAR for reaching out to some teams and offering them marketing tools as they make their pitches for sponsorship, but there's more that can be done. Is NASCAR willing to go that extra mile?

Oh yeah, how about that drug-testing policy?

Lest we forget, NASCAR made a big deal in recent months about the implementation of a new drug testing policy. How's it working out? The teams are not to happy with some of the results, particularly when false positives pop up for Claritin and employees are expected to provide documentation for purchase. What problems have been encountered as a result of the new drug-testing policy? Are the results more revealing than expected? How credible is the testing? NASCAR has every right to protect individuals' rights as this is considered a medical issue, but the governing body should be as transparent as possible to prove to fans and the media that the program is for real, and not just smoke and mirrors.

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