France: NASCAR committed to breaking up tandem racing

France: NASCAR committed to breaking up tandem racing

(November 18, 2011)

HOMESTEAD, Fla.—During a recent test at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR experimented with competition changes designed to hinder the two-car drafts that have become the norm at restrictor-plate superspeedways.

 On Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France made the sanctioning body’s most definitive statement on the subject to date—one that is certain to please the majority of competitors and fans.

 “We would prefer to eliminate tandem racing in the manner it exists today,” France said during a question-and-answer session with reporters. “There is no question about that. We are working on rolling back the clock to traditional Daytona, Talladega races.

 “We'll have to see how that goes. I think the majority of fans would like to see that—and so would we.”

 Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of many drivers on record in opposition to the tandem drafts in which one car pushes another for sustained runs. Though Earnhardt pushed Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson to victory at Talladega in April, he says he would prefer to control his own destiny in the racecar.

 “I don’t like this type of racing, and you know it,” Earnhardt said after the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in July. “It was just a foolish race.”

 Clearly, France agrees with that point of view.

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service