November 28, 2008
By Rebecca Gladden
Each time I attend a NASCAR race as a credentialed media member, I challenge myself to take you behind the scenes to a part of the race that you might not otherwise experience.
This month in Phoenix, I attended the pre-race Drivers' Meeting that was held about 30 minutes before the start of the Cup Series race, taking in as much detail as possible so that I could bring that experience to you.
The meeting at PIR is held in a large event-sized tent. Attendance is strictly limited to the drivers and crew chiefs, various NASCAR officials, and invited guests - in part because it is standing room only in the tent.
There are two different ways to get to the tent where the meeting is held. Drivers arrive from their own location which, for the most part, keeps them from having to go through crowds in the infield to get to the meeting. Other guests arrive from the infield and enter through a gate where credentials are carefully checked.
By the time I arrived at the meeting, the tent was already full. That was because the meeting started right on the heels of NASCAR Chairman Brian France's press conference in the PIR Media Center regarding the economic concerns facing the sport. The meeting was scheduled to begin at 1:15, but the press conference did not conclude until about 1:25. Mr. France and other top NASCAR officials who were at the press conference walked quickly from the media center to the tent.
Photo Rebecca Gladden
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Center: Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne
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Inside the tent, there was a speaker's podium up front, with many rows of folding chairs facing it. The drivers and crew chiefs sat in the first several rows with guests farther back. Media members and others stood along the sides and back of the tent, in groups at least two to three people deep, while NASCAR's top brass including CEO Brian France and President Mike Helton stood behind the podium facing the drivers.
Alongside the speaker's stand was another row of folding chairs facing the drivers. These were occupied by special dignitaries who were guests of PIR, such as Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, several movie stars and athletes including Arizona Diamondbacks players and recent Olympians, and members of the military being honored as part of PIR's Veteran's Day tribute.
I noticed that most of the drivers sat next to their crew chiefs, and many also sat together as a team. Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne sat side-by-side. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson were in the same row, each with his crew chief. Tony Stewart sat next to Greg Zipadelli. There were also several team owners in attendance.
As crew chiefs entered the tent, they were handed a sheet of paper labeled the "Crew Chief Handout." More on this in a moment.
The PIR drivers' meeting was conducted by NASCAR Director of Events David Hoots, who addresses the drivers and crew chiefs each week before the race and has done so for years. Mr. Hoots introduced the dignitaries seated up front and then reminded everyone that with Veteran's Day approaching, they should all take a moment to thank veterans for their service to the country.
Mr. Hoots then got down to the business of discussing the race. Many of the rules he reviewed were also written on the Crew Chief Handout.
The handout started off with a list of NASCAR "Special Awards" from the previous race, which are often acknowledged during driver introductions as well. The winners included the "Goodyear Gatorback Fastest Lap Award" (Jeff Gordon), the "Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race" (Kevin Harvick), and the "USG Improving the Finish Award" (Jeff Burton). Of course, the award winners change each week.
Next on the Crew Chief Handout was a list of important times for that day's events, such as the starting times for driver introductions, the invocation, the national anthem, and the command to start engines. These items were not discussed at the meeting - just listed on the handout.
It was interesting to note that there were specific instructions on the handout regarding team member comportment during the pre-race ceremonies. Under Driver Introductions, it said, "Assemble at Stage on Pit Road, Start/Finish line. Walk across stage and ride in vehicle." For the invocation and national anthem, the notes read, "Line up crew on front line - Stationary - Facing the flag in a patriotic manner." That list part was underlined.
Mr. Hoots then reviewed some of the hard data on the form, including the pit road speed (45 mph), the caution car speed (50 mph), and where pit road begins (250 feet before the first pit box) and ends (105 feet past the last pit box). The handout listed a "minimum speed," which was actually a lap time of 31.87 seconds. Hoots also discussed that the top three drivers in the race were required to appear in the media center for interviews after its conclusion.
At the bottom of the form were a few notes regarding dates and times for the following week's race at Homestead, including hauler parking on Thursday evening, the garage opening on Friday morning, and the first practice session on Friday as well.
The drivers themselves were (surprisingly?) attentive during the meeting. There was no cutting up or goofing off. NASCAR has clearly established a tone for these meetings which does not abide any misbehavior by the race participants.
Lastly, Mr. Hoots opened the floor to questions from the drivers. The main topic on this particular day pertained to lapped cars pulling over for certain lead-lap drivers and not for others. Hoots responded by telling all the drivers that if they are lapped, the cannot selectively decide who to pull over for - that they must pull over for all lead-lap cars equally. Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman were the only drivers with specific questions.
As soon as the meeting was over, the drivers and crew chiefs quickly made their way out of the tent to prepare for the race, while other attendees mingled outside. Those who stayed in their seats were staying for chapel service by the Motor Racing Outreach, which got underway a few minutes later and included live music.
While it's hard to believe that the 2008 NASCAR season is already over, I hope this article and others I have planned for the offseason will get you through until Speedweeks 2009.
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