Drivers question pit-road procedures

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Drivers question pit-road procedures; changes being considered: To get an idea of just how strongly some people oppose NASCAR's rule prohibiting Camping World Truck Series drivers from taking tires and fuel on the same pit stop, consider Mike Skinner's view on the matter. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen in racing in 35 years," says Skinner, the 1995 series champion. The rule was initially instituted to help teams save money because it reduced the number of men a team could have over pit wall from seven to five. But it also forced drivers to make separate stops for tires and fuel - potentially jumbling up the running order and increasing the possibility that a caution in the middle of a series of green-flag stops could impact the outcome of a race. Rick Ren, crew chief for points leader Ron Hornaday, understands why NASCAR opted to make the rule, but that doesn't mean he supports the policy."I don't care for it," Ren says. "I haven't cared for it all year. It's the rules that we've been dealt, and we have to deal within them." Skinner and fellow veteran Rick Crawford suggest the rule might also jeopardize competitors' safety because it makes teams willing to leave their drivers on the track on older tires to avoid a second pit stop and the risk of getting trapped a lap down. Crawford doesn't see where forcing teams to have fewer men over the wall has done much to relieve the financial burden on teams in a sluggish economy. And he believes any savings haven't been enough to justify drivers having to make separate stops for tires and fuel. Truck Series Director Wayne Auton says that NASCAR is aware that the rule hasn't been popular among some drivers and teams and that the sanctioning body is considering changes for 2010. NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton says the sanctioning body is also leaning toward implementing double-file restarts for the Truck series next year, as it already has for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series. Unlike the much-maligned pit-stop rules, double-file restarts would be well-received based on early indications. "What we're putting on a show for is the fans, and if it added any ounce of a show, we need to give it to them," Crawford says. (read complete article on SceneDaily.com)(10-2-2009)

I'm not a fan of the new pit road procedures either. I hope they change it.

i think they will. being that many oppose the rule publicly already, & NASCAR listened to the fans about the double-file restarts. i'm all for it!

I like that NASCAR is trying to do something different with the truck series pit stops, but this new rule has been a disaster. I'd like to see them use a different format than Cup/NW, but this one needs to change!

Not a good rule, period.

I've been saying from the beginning this was a bad idea...

I'm always open to change. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
This no is just bad. Hopefully they will change it.