Tony Stewart calls out NASCAR chairman Brian France – USA TODAY
CHARLOTTE — Tony Stewart called on NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France to take a more active role at the racetrack during a blunt interview with Sirius/XM Radio on Thursday.
Stewart told host Dave Moody that drivers “never see Brian France” and don’t feel he’s hearing their concerns about various issues facing the sport.
“I want to see Brian France at the track more,” Stewart said. “I want to see him walking through the garage more. I want to see him being more active than just showing up and patting the sponsors on the back and going up in the suite. I want to see him down there in the trenches with everybody and understanding what’s truly going on. I think that’s where he needs to be for awhile.”
France repeatedly has said he views his role differently than his father and grandfather, who founded NASCAR and ran the sport until the end of their lives. They were often visible at the track and viewed as approachable, whereas France makes infrequent appearances and relies on executives to handle various day-to-day decisions.
France also has declined to participate in the new drivers council meetings with NASCAR because he feels a more honest conversation would take place without him there.
Stewart, though, said France needs to be present and listen, much like Stewart does when he runs the All-Star Circuit of Champions sprint car series.
“I would like for him to be there because the stuff I’m talking about, I want to know before I leave that room that he understands,” he said. “I want to see he cares enough to be there, not sit there and get a report from somebody.
“I know Brian France cares. But I think there’s a lot of things that get lost in translation between a driver going to talk to somebody in the (NASCAR office) trailer to the time it gets to him. Who knows what it sounds like by the time it gets up there — or if it even gets up there. … He doesn’t have to say anything. We just want to know that he’s hearing what we’re saying.”
Stewart said he was miffed last year when France walked up to him at Pocono Raceway and “gave me a hard time” about Stewart pushing for a low-downforce aerodynamic package. NASCAR — specifically vice president of racing development Gene Stefanyshyn — had convinced France a high-drag package was the better fix for the lackluster racing.
The low downforce package eventually won out, but the memory of France’s lecture stuck with Stewart.
“I sat there in my head thinking, ‘Wait a minute. You’re standing up for a guy (Stefanyshyn) who’s never worked on a race car, never been on a race team and now is making decisions on what the rules package is going to be versus guys who have been driving a race car for 20 or 30 years,’ ” Stewart said. “You’re telling us that guy is smarter than we all are?’ That’s where Brian France and I disagree.”
Stewart said he’s the only driver who will speak up to France about the problems facing the sport, and “that’s the problem.”
“I don’t care what the repercussions are,” he said. “I’m saying it because I care. I’m not trying to pick a fight with him. Nobody wants to disrupt the apple cart, nobody wants to make Brian mad. But we’re all in it together. If it doesn’t work for one, it doesn’t work for all of us.”
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