By LUKE MEREDITH
AP Sports Writer
NEWTON, Iowa(AP) -- NASCAR president Mike Helton insists he wants
drivers to feel free to express themselves.
Helton just doesn't want anyone doing so in a way that could
hurt the sport's image.
A report by The Associated Press earlier this week said that
NASCAR has fined at least two of its top drivers this season for
making critical comments about the circuit.
People familiar with the penalties told the AP the comments were
considered disparaging to the sport. The people spoke on
condition of anonymity because NASCAR was not publicly
identifying the topflight drivers it fined. They said one driver
was penalized as much as $50,000.
"The emotion of the sport, we encourage. The passion and the
emotion of a driver wanting to win and, within reason, his
driving style to do that, we encourage," Helton said. "What we
discourage throughout the industry, though, is sending the
message that the sport isn't worthy of following."
Helton said Thursday that the sanctioning body hasn't identified
the penalized drivers because NASCAR views it the same way as
conversations officials might have with drivers after an
on-track incident. Those talks usually remains private as well.
NASCAR hasn't divulged details about the fines, either, but a
NASCAR spokesman said on Monday night that any moves made by the
sanctioning body is focused on actions or comments that
"materially damage" the sport, and not on drivers expressing
opinions.
Fines for critical comments are commonplace for many pro sports
leagues, and Helton acknowledged that the sanctioning body is
focused on making sure a positive message about NASCAR is driven
home to the public.
The fines also fit with NASCAR's efforts to re-energize the
sport with stronger racing and improved off-track promotion from
its drivers. But Helton acknowledged that there's a delicate
balance when drivers are encouraged to be passionate about what
they do, but could also be fined for what they say.
"There is a need to explain to the drivers the difference
between what we would have an issue with and what we actually
encourage them to do, and it could be is a fine line," Helton
said.
Helton visited Iowa on Thursday for an auction and celebrity
roast of team owner Richard Childress at Iowa Speedway, site of
Saturday night's Nationwide race.
Childress said he doesn't believe that anyone in NASCAR should
"bite the hand that feeds them." Rusty Wallace, the longtime
NASCAR star and designer of the oval in Iowa, said he's all for
the sport's sanctioning body using penalties to keep folks from
disparaging the sport.
"I would challenge all the drivers. When they get really
frustrated, and they want to say something negative, they need
to stop and think. How does that help me, and how does that help
the sport?" Wallace said. "That would be like owning a
restaurant, and running out front and saying 'Hey, the food
sucks. Come on in.' You wouldn't want to do that."