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Freeing the Impounded
By Dan Sipocz
Cup Scene Daily,April 7

NASCAR shook up the qualifying process this season by beginning the impound rules. While it will take time to get used to, it provides potential for the teams and fans alike to have the best experience possible. The obvious affects of the rule allow teams one more day at home before heading to the track for the weekend and serves as a cost cutter for the teams as well. The possibility for teams, drivers, and fans to get what they want exists, if NASCAR makes some much needed tweaks to the weekend rules to provide improved safety and to free those who are impounded.

Safety is and has always been the number one priority of NASCAR. If the drivers, teams, and fans aren’t safe, NASCAR isn’t happy. Tweaking the impound rule well help the situation out.

The fans want the ability to meet drivers and get their autographs while drivers and teams want to be left alone so they can do their jobs in the garage during the weekend. With impounding after qualifying, teams have much more time on their hands than they are used to. They are not allowed to work on their cars until race day; therefore, after a little time to work out the legal changes teams can make race morning and then its free time. In fact, several drivers have already said that they are bored on Saturdays with all their free time and nothing to do. There is a simple solution. Make appearances, sign autographs.

Drivers can use this impound rule to their advantage by using this free time to make appearances for their sponsors and having autograph sessions. Work it out with sponsors that these driver appearances with their free-time to fulfill sponsorship requirements. This pleases the fans and the sponsors at the same time. Or NASCAR can mandate these appearances as a tweak to the impound rule. These appearances don’t have to take all day, but just a small portion of time; at the very most, two hours.

Sweeping changes to garage access can also make things safer for the teams. While neither side, teams or fans, will like the changes that could be made, a compromise on both sides is in the best interest. Taking away pit passes and garage passes to the public except for qualifying and race morning gives the drivers and teams some more space and privacy to work. Fans won’t be happy with that, but they will still have access in the morning, up to a certain point. Give the fans access to pit passes and garage passes on qualifying day, during qualifying only and when the gates open until a half hour before the drivers meeting. This gives the fans some chances to get up close to meet the drivers and gives the teams peace and quiet to do their jobs.

Then on Saturday, when the drivers have nothing to do, they can have autograph sessions at their souvenir trailers or where ever. This is the best of both worlds. Fans get to meet drivers, both inside and outside of the track, while teams get privacy in the garage. That system will work, but there must be more than just one or two drivers appearing during this free-time. Take the time to work out a deal to have at least 5 different drivers appear during the new found free-time. There is no perfect solution, but this plan empties the overcrowded pit road and garage area while still giving access to the drivers both in and out of their element. This rule probably could not be put in place this season, but a very good rule to consider as it solves many problems of safety for fans and teams with pit road and the garage being emptied except for times when teams are not really working on the car.

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