Opinion: NASCAR Leadership Failing Fast

Image Courtesy Autoweek.

Since the end of last season, the anticipation of NASCAR's 2013 season was rising fast. A more stock-looking car, more web access, two solid rookie contenders, and a champion whose stark honesty and blue collar roots was a blast from the past. Daytona Speedweeks was such a thrill ride, not even a horrific accident could slow it down.
Now, at the start of the third race weekend, all that momentum has stopped like a car hitting a concrete wall head on. Instead of anticipation over what's to come for the next nine months, we're discussing topics such as censorship and labor relations. And NASCAR has no one to blame but themselves.
It all started inconspicuously when Brad Keselowski, who grew up in the sport, was called to the principal's office for saying NASCAR had to do a better job getting all parties involved in the sport working together. Then the tragic crash in the Nationwide series race when Kyle Larson's car hit the crossover gate in the catchfence. 28 fans injured, 2 critically, and the entire motorsports world held it's breath. When a fan uploaded his video of the horrific accident, NASCAR swooped in and had the video banned. The moved caused outrage itself over this level of censorship, even from YouTube itself. Was the fan inappropriate in uploading the video so quickly without knowing the status of the victims? Probably, but NASCAR can't decide that themselves; when a figure can decide how it has itself viewed, that's a dangerous power to have.

Then after the huge popular success that was the Daytona 500, NASCAR banned Jeremy Clements for "comments" and told no one why. A poor choice, considering without knowing, it led to rampant speculation. And then we all discovered it was something heard between only three people, one being a "journalist" who was a "Guy Code" blogger who works for a network that produces 16 and Pregnant. And now he's suspended, going through a rehab program, as if he was as much a danger as a driver who shot dope before driving 200 MPH. Then came Thursday: Denny Hamlin gets fined for what were completely innocuous comments. He was actually positive, reinforcing that it would take hard work for the car to be competitive.
It goes beyond being thin skinned: NASCAR has now made Mt. Kilimanjaro's out of three molehills, creating controversies where none needed to be. It's a problem that Keselowski hit right on the head: NASCAR has no clear leadership. It was obvious after the Daytona crash: 28 fans injured, 2 critical, and the whole world watching Daytona. When did Mike Helton, Brian France, or Lisa France-Kennedy take a podium and address the situation? Never. When the sport they're in charge off potentially faced it's darkest hour, did they face the onslaught of questioning? No, they trotted out Joie Chitwood and Steve O'Donnell, a competition director and the guy responsible for making sure concessions has enough popcorn. When Clements was banished from the kingdom, when did Mike Helton stand up and explain his sport's position on the topic? Never, and silence ended up causing more harm than any good they hope to achieve. And on Thursday as drivers and media either cried foul or spoke in confusion as to what was illegal speech nowadays, did any of these three come out to explain why NASCAR took such an overreaching action? No, they forced poor Robin Pemberton out to carry the party line; a man who knows exactly what Hamlin was saying, having brought the '98 Ford Taurus up to speed back in his Penske days.
For all those touting the talents of Dana White and what he has done for MMA, remember: Big Bill France was the original Dana White. He saw the potential in his sport, and took control. He made changes to further it's potential, took risks that he felt would make it bigger, and tried to create an atmosphere that helped both drivers and tracks find success in a pastime. When his son took over, he advanced the corporate opportunities. Bill France, Jr., brought in a solid series sponsor, and spread the sport from coast to coast and even dipped into Japan for a while. Brian? He's pissed off fans and gotten more press for DUI's and divorces in only his first ten years. He wasn't even given the presidency: that was given to Mike Helton, who can appear presidential, but does struggle, such as when NBC Sports revealed that NASCAR didn't even require helmets and firesuits six months following Dale Earnhardt's death. And Lisa France-Kennedy now runs the tracks side of the operation, but instead of expansion and growth, ISC has killed off numerous tracks and continues to loose fans and revenue. They bought a popular track in prime real estate in Colorado, then killed it, thinking they could just build another one closer to Denver. They failed, and now Colorado has neither national NASCAR racing or even Pike's Peak International Raceway to fall back on.
The choice to hide in the shadows casts NASCAR's leadership in the worst possible light. Bud Selig, David Stern, and Gary Bettman make a triumbrant of hated commissioners. What if a foul ball hit into the stands, a knocked over basketball goal, or a falling sheet of plexiglass slicing into the front row, were to injure or even kill fans? You can bet any of these three men would stand at the podium and face the music, defend their sport where it needs it and admit what could've been done better. NASCAR didn't even address whether the crossover gate caused the car to disintegrate. They told Steve O'Donnell to address Bob Ley, probably more concerned with making sure James Franco and 50 Cent enjoyed themselves.
Both Bill France's ran their sport in a way that unions were not needed; a refreshing thought as MLB went from the unfair Reserve Clause to self-interested Donald Fehr. But Helton and Brian's NASCAR unfortunately now needs organized labor. There's no guarantee the competitors' needs are met. They're subject to decisions made recklessly, and without any fair process. Teams are forced to spend themselves broke, and drivers forced into start-and-park situations when they wish to compete. SMI and the independent tracks try in vain to keep themselves healthy, as the monopoly that is the ISC-NASCAR marriage does little to help any other track in the sport; actions that contradict Bill Sr.'s goals from the start. And crew members are kept as anonymous as possible, so that they won't earn the high dollar contracts they deserve for their work as cars speed by at interstate speeds. And now with Hamlin's suspension, hopefully drivers take it upon themselves to simply thank their sponsors and leave, and do as little as possible in their obligations to a media that will completely understand. And it's going to be interesting as NASCAR now tries to control sports car racing: those big factory teams aren't going to take to being told what to do, and I doubt the A.C.O. will take orders from an American nepotistic organization that can't even figure out how to build a decent spec car.
NASCAR better consider it's actions as the year unfolds. Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports identified it at the same level as UFC: a niche sport that peaked years ago. But let's be fair: no one doubts Dana White knows what he's doing.