France: NASCAR listening to drivers concerns

Brian France

NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France has gone from Talladega, Alabama, to Los Angeles over the past several days, taking in and sending out a wide view of the sport in the process.

France kicked off a Drivers Council meeting at Talladega on Friday, then served on a prestigious speaking panel for sports business leaders in L.A. on Monday

The initial stop was well-received by both the drivers and France himself — the NASCAR Chairman & CEO kicked off the meeting with remarks, and listened to driver discussion on a variety of topics.

France also met privately for a one-on-one discussion with driver Tony Stewart, a three-time premier series champion.

"The Drivers Council meeting in Talladega was very productive," France told NASCAR.com. "Tony and I also met one-on-one, and it was great to hear his thoughts. I think the key is to build trust with the drivers, and we structured the Council in a way that lets them express their views in a free-flowing manner.

"We want them to know that we are listening, trying to understand their issues and that it is important for us to get it right. I think the level of collaboration between us is better than ever."

The drivers agree.

"It was great Brian came (to the meeting)," Earnhardt Jr. told reporters at Talladega. " … It was just a good, positive meeting, a lot of good things moving in a good direction. … I think what we are doing is pretty amazing."

Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson were all on the Drivers Council when it was formed last year, and remain members in 2016. Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch are three new members this year, bringing the total council to nine drivers.

The sanctioning body strategically shaped criteria for the Drivers Council so a variety of drivers are included.

Four spots are automatically filled by performance the previous season — the top-finishing driver for Chevrolet, Toyota and Ford, plus the top-finishing driver with less than three seasons of experience.

The remaining slots are filled by driver votes from the following categories: Two drivers from the top 10 in points from the previous season; one driver from positions 11-20 in points from the previous season; one driver from positions 21-30 in points the previous season; and one driver with the most votes who doesn't fit into the previous categories.

A team can have a maximum of two drivers on the Drivers Council.

"The meeting on Friday was terrific," NASCAR Executive Vice President and Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell reiterated on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "It was scheduled for an hour and a half and almost went three hours. Brian was there and talked about where we see the sport going, answering a number of questions that the drivers had, and then we had some great exchanges about what we think of the current rules package, some things we may look at in the future. All in all, my perspective, … but I really believe in the process and think it's paying huge benefits for the sport and ultimately the race fans."

The Drivers Council is the latest group to be formed within the industry, joining the NASCAR OEM Council, Tracks Council and the Teams Council. The intent of council creation is for better collaboration across the sport, with the manufacturers and teams — and now, the drivers — having an avenue for discussion and a process to elevate those discussions to industry leadership.

At the Milken Conference days later, France was on a five-person panel for a session called "Stewards of the Game: The Business Leaders Behind Major Sports" that also included former NBA Commissioner David Stern and New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft.

The NASCAR Chairman & CEO answered broad-ranging questions on his family legacy, the successful Daytona Rising project and the importance of digital and social media to reach and engage new fans. nascar.com