CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR has a "town hall meeting" scheduled with its drivers next week.The sport's longtime rival, Bruton Smith, held one of his own Saturday.
Smith, the outspoken, multimillionaire chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., ripped NASCAR for choosing not to disclose the banned substance involved in driver Jeremy Mayfield's suspension, for dropping record penalties on underfunded driver Carl Long and for the kind of racing created with the Car of Tomorrow.
"I have tried everything to get that done," Smith said in a wide-ranging, 40-minute interview session at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I've tried to actually shame them into it because they have a moral responsibility because the state of Kentucky spent $96 million there and assisted on building that speedway. So there's 96 million reasons right there why they ought to drop that lawsuit. But it's still there."
Smith, whose company owns eight NASCAR-sanctioned tracks, was on hand to talk about the 50-year anniversary of the Coca-Cola 600. But he wasted little time taking the sanctioning body, the same one that helped build his fortune, to task on several hot topics.
He questioned the way NASCAR handled Mayfield's situation. Mayfield was suspended indefinitely over a positive random test that remains clouded in secrecy. He was the first driver to be suspended under NASCAR's new random testing policy, toughened up for this season after former driver Aaron Fike admitted using heroin - even on days he raced.
"I think we need some clarity on this," Smith said. "NASCAR, in my opinion, should come forth and say what the substance is. Why do we want all this secrecy behind it? I don't think you progress by being that secretive about something."
The 81-year-old Smith was even more critical of Long's suspension. Long was suspended 12 races and docked 200 points for having a slightly oversized engine at Lowe's last weekend. His crew chief also was fined $200,000. But if a crew chief can't pay a fine in NASCAR, it defaults to the team owner, which is Long and his wife. The record penalties could mean the end of Long's low-budget team.
"Why would you fine this man $200,000 for an engine that's a little bit over?" Smith said. "We've seen that so many times. What is it proving? I don't know who made that decision. ... In my opinion, they're dead wrong. Some of the things that NASCAR can do can disrupt and ruin a person's reputation, ruin their career. Two hundred thousand dollars? I've seen in the past where your engine may be a little bit over and maybe they take the engine."
Long said there's no chance he can pay the fine, and the suspension would prevent him from working his full-time job with another Cup team. Long appealed the penalties, allowing him to work until his June 2 hearing.
"I don't know Carl Long, but there's an injustice done there," Smith said. "I hope he wins his appeal. He can't race for 12 weeks? That's so cruel to try to ruin this man. That would absolutely financially ruin him, and it's just not right. I think you can prove your point a better way than that."
Smith didn't stop there, either.
He complained about NASCAR's bulkier car that has been blamed for less-than-stellar racing the last two years. He also suggested this year's testing ban has handcuffed teams and prevented them from finding solutions to the car's handling woes.
"Sometimes we forget these fans," Smith said. "When NASCAR does something that is so far out ... NASCAR loses a lot of fans when that happens. That's something you wouldn't think would happen in this country. It's too dictatorial and it's not good. We don't need to be making enemies. We need to make friends. We need to be fan-friendly."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-24-2009 @ 12:15PM
chiss4 said...
I agree with every word written in this article. I do not understand why or how NASCAR decided to be so all high and mighty. It all started with a bunch of good ol boys from the south that enjoyed making cars go fast and having an entertainment that the whole family could enjoy together. Now it has gotten to be like everything else in this country---all about greed and how much money we can make. The COT has ruined the sport, the restrictor plate too. The France family is off the chart with their power and greed. I've been watching NASCAR since I was a child 50 years ago and I'm just about over it. Nothing is being served by all this secrecy, if the man smoked some pot or snorted some cocaine then bury his ass. You have the rules in place to justify it. If he did something wrong he knows it and if you kick him out of racing he has no one to blame but himself and he can only man up and take the punishment---should have thought about the consequences of what he was doing when he did it. And as far as the punishment for Mr. Long, way too severe. NASCAR, get back to your roots and quit taking yourself so damn serious.
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5-25-2009 @ 10:46AM
harleyheritage64 said...
I agree with Big Bad John, Nascar sucks & i was a fan from back in the 70s on up & now i hardly watch it all because of this very crap that go's on. And im sick to death of these rich owners that has 3 & 4 cars hoging up everything like they dont have any money.Greed over money has killed this country & all sports...
5-24-2009 @ 7:00PM
Big Bad John said...
Burton Smith is absolutely right about what he has said.Nascar needs to make changes into the racing that was at one time the number 1 sport in the U.S.Now NASCAR has become the biggest losing sport in the U.S. now. The number 1 reason is when NASCAR let a Foreign Car Company come in to NASCAR which was a strickly a American Racing cars only. Toyota has done everthing to hurt the three American car industries.They have very deep pockets and have spent millions on NASCAR racing to take it over. Your Fox sports T.V. host all have ownership in Toyota Teams. Brian France does not attend every race like he should being ahead of NASCAR.NASCAR needs to go back like it use to be. The fans loved it when they raced in the 60's and the 70's go back to the rules then when NASCAR was so popular.
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5-25-2009 @ 11:26AM
chiss4 said...
You know maybe if everyone quit going someone would listen. Even if just one or two races could be heavily boycotted France and company would listen. All the talking heads and it makes no difference which network (it flat doesn't matter) it is it doesn't matter, each and everyone of them ultimately sucks up to and promotes NASCAR agenda. I love those guys, all of them have great imput but by the end of what ever it is they are saying, they always come back and suck up to NASCAR. I'm sure thats who signs the checks but if they don't start listening to the fans they have the potential to be the next NHL. And everyone says huh?---thats the Hockey guys. Pay attention Nascar---it happened to America's favorite pastime and they still haven't recovered. Beleive me, it can happen to you too. Baseball fans have been around alot longer than NASCAR and if they can abandone the sport watch what a NASCAR fan will do in hard times.
5-27-2009 @ 6:40PM
Melissa said...
And can someone tell me why THIS man is not in charge of NASCAR?...I'm so tired of the good ole' boys favoring certain teams and generally running this as sport as if it were still 1959 instead of 2009. Get with it guys. With the economy like it is and the big 3 auto makers in such trouble, the only true support you will be able to count is the fans and that wont be for long unless changes are made
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5-26-2009 @ 7:36AM
Kim said...
Maybe Bruton should be running this sport? He certainly seems to have more sense than NASCAR does at this point.
With the Mayfield incident, completely agree. I find it highly doubtfull that this family man (Mayfield) and struggling NASCAR driver would take anything illegal. He probably mixed two medications together that he shouldn't have. It needs to be made public. If not to all of us, at least to Mayfield for crying out loud.
As for Long. I don't know him, but it sure does seem like too steep a penalty. NASCAR is always saying that these smaller owned teams are the future of the sport, yet they find ways to fine & punish them to the point where they might be ruined. It seems to me like NASCAR is trying to get rid of the "little guy" instead of trying to help secure future owners of the sport. There is absolutely zero fairness in NASCAR's punishments and monetary fines.
As for the COT. All of us fans have known for two years that they are crap. The drivers, teams and owners all know they are crap. NASCAR is the only one not listening. The worst part about it, they aren't listening to their drivers who are telling them about the problems with the car, and they should know. Banning testing was a moronic step in the wrong direction. You can't fix something if you don't know how it's broke!
Kim
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5-27-2009 @ 10:16PM
Susan said...
If you read the Charlotte Business paper, the Nascar Insiders, read the website SpeedScamMotorsports.com or view the You Tube video by Barry Minkow of the Fraud Discovery Institute then you might not think Bruton would be the best leader. He filed SEC papers that his son graduated from UNC but he didn't graduate. (That is illegal)
He also did not invite Humpy Wheeler to the 50th anniversary of Charlotte. That's tacky.
Just imagine how many people will be out of jobs and money if the situation tumbles as it appears it will eventually.
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6-02-2009 @ 2:38PM
matt33189 said...
NASCAR STRANDS FOR NATIONAL ASS0CIATION OF STOCK CAR RACING. WHERE IS THE STOCK CAR. THEY ARE NOT STOCK CARS. THEY ARE COOKIE CUTTERS THAT THE FRANCE FAMILY CAME UP WITH. THEY NEED TO CHANGE THE NAME AND GET STOCK OUT OF IT. IT'S MISLEADING AND NOT TRUE. TELL ME WHATS STOCK ON THESE CARS.
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