NASCAR's Off-Track Issues Steal Thunder From Chase For The Cup
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Petty Says NASCAR's Growth
Has Led To More Media Scrutiny |
NASCAR is facing "perception problems like it never has before," and at a time when the "focus should be on the 12 drivers battling for the [Chase for the Sprint Cup], the sport is putting out fires of negative publicity," according to David Newton of ESPN.com. Attendance at races this season has dropped from '07, sponsor budgets "are shrinking," and NASCAR's new substance abuse policy is coming "under fire because an industry expert says it lacks a list of banned substances." Also, a NASCAR technical inspector filed a "complaint claiming racial discrimination" right as the sport fired two officials named in Mauricia Grant's sexual and racial harassment case. Petty Enterprises Chair Emeritus Richard Petty said, "The bigger NASCAR is, the more people are going to shoot at us, and the more politically correct they have to be." Petty: "When we came along, NASCAR was growing, and we had a few reporters and they did everything they could not to report the bad things. They were wanting to keep a job. They like the racing, so they really, really helped us." Newton notes the media's present mentality is that no "person or organization is untouchable, not matter how many races or titles he has won." Petty said of the media, "They look for the deal like they're doing with the politicians now. ... Somebody is always looking for something." Meanwhile, Newton wrote NASCAR deserves credit for releasing its new drug policy on a Chase weekend, leaving it open for as much criticism as praise," instead of after the season. While the policy is mainly a "positive step," it is still "stealing attention from the Chase and everything NASCAR wants people talking about" (ESPN.com, 9/22).
ABOUT TIME: SI.com's Bruce Martin wrote the drug policy "moves NASCAR more in line with the other professional sports and gives its program more credibility, which leads to this question, 'What took so long?'" However, it is "better late than never" (SI.com, 9/22).
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