Earnhardt Jr. dispels notion of drivers union
By Lee Montgomery - Associate Editor
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Jason Smith / Getty Images for NASCAR
“Union” has five letters, but in the NASCAR world, it’s a four-letter word. The idea of a drivers union cropped up again Friday in the wake of the tire controversy last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. said a formal union isn’t absolutely necessary for drivers’ voices to be heard.
A drivers union hasn’t been in place in the sport since 1969, and the short-lived Professional Drivers Association died not long after it was formed, mainly because NASCAR continued to run events without PDA participation.
But would a union help drivers to get their point across about certain situations?
“There’s a million different ways that could be done,” said Earnhardt Jr., who did not use the word “union” Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. “The main situation is, as a driver, you have a hard time listening and believing someone who has never been behind the wheel, trying to tell you what needs to happen out on the race track or how things need to be or should be.”
After last week’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta, Earnhardt Jr. was one of several drivers critical of the tire Goodyear brought to the track. Other drivers, specifically Tony Stewart, said Goodyear often doesn’t care what the drivers think, though Goodyear officials have denied that.
Earnhardt Jr. said he hopes there is “driver influence” on NASCAR.
“I would like to think that NASCAR does talk to the drivers, the Jeff Burtons and those types,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Jeff always errs on the side of safety and always has great points and great ideas. I would like to believe that NASCAR does have conversations with those guys.”
Earnhardt Jr.’s father was considered a leader in the garage, often voicing his opinion, even if it was unpopular. There is no such figure these days, though Earnhardt Jr. said Burton, Stewart or even Bobby Labonte are considered leaders in the garage.
Drivers do care about the future of their sport, Earnhardt Jr. said.
“We don’t sit around and search these things out just to pester,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “These are things we actually run into as we go back to these venues over and over and over, and we continue to get frustrated with it. Eventually we might run into [NASCAR President] Mike [Helton] somewhere and say, ‘Hey, this is what I think.’”
Atlanta was a reminder that drivers care about what happens in NASCAR.
“We are paid a lot of money to do what we do,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We all do sound off and go push the button a little too hard sometimes, but for the most part, we don’t want to ruin the racing for the sport. We don’t want to make it worse for the fans.”
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