NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said that with the emergence of the drivers council as well as a newly founded technical council, the governing body has "much more open dialogue now than when drivers needed to use the media to have a voice," according to Bob Pockrass of ESPN.com. The drivers council has "met with NASCAR three times this year and also has met" with SMI execs. It has "one more meeting left this season with NASCAR." Keselowski said, "We've made a lot more progress as a sport, at least behind the scenes, collaborating or moving forward where the need to have conversations through the media has not gone away but certainly been dramatically reduced in my mind." Pockrass noted the councils "often discuss big-picture items rather than go over recent NASCAR decisions." Driver Kevin Harvick said, "The council is ... something that wants to look forward and wants to try to help divert problems instead of create problems" (ESPN.com, 10/12). The retiring Tony Stewart, one of nine drivers on the council, said, "The thing that I'm most excited about with the drivers council is I feel like it's a good group of guys in there right now." Stewart said the group is working for the "right causes and goals." NBCSPORTS.com's Daniel McFadin noted Stewart's presence on the council "has had an impact this season." In January he criticized NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France for not having a "presence in the meetings." France then "attended an April meeting in Talladega, an act appreciated by the drivers." Stewart has also "been an encouraging voice for young drivers." Stewart said that he is "'proud' of what the council has accomplished in it first two years and is a little surprised at how unselfish its members have been" (NBCSPORTS.com, 10/12).
