NASCAR tightens up rules on race car communications

The changes include:

• In-car communications will be permitted only between team members of the same car number. Translation: A spotter for, say Kevin Harvick, cannot communicate with his Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton.

• Direct vehicle-to-vehicle communications will not be permitted. Translation: Drivers cannot communicate with each other directly, even if they are teammates.

Last January, NASCAR altered its radio policy to prohibit drivers from communicating with other drivers during the race. The communication was used primarily at Daytona and Talladega when two-car drafting tandems became commonplace.