NASCAR CEO and Chairman Brian France met privately with Tony Stewart then took part in a scheduled meeting the Sprint Cup Drivers Council had with NASCAR officials Friday night at Talladega Superspeedway.
NASCAR CEO Brian France meets with Tony Stewart, Sprint Cup Drivers Council
A week after being fined, Tony Stewart met with NASCAR CEO Brian France to discuss the penalty.
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Stewart was fined $35,000 last week for comments he made that NASCAR viewed as denigrating the sport. The three-time Cup Series champion was upset with NASCAR’s policy that allowed teams to apply less than the maximum five lugs, which had recently created a rash of loose wheels and prompted Stewart to question the sanctioning body’s commitment to safety.
Stewart had said earlier Friday that he still didn’t specifically know why he was fined and wanted an explanation.
“It was very productive and at least from Brian’s perspective, it was well done and he was happy he did it,” NASCAR spokesman David Higdon said Friday night.
Beyond just meeting with Stewart, France also made a first-ever appearance at the scheduled Sprint Cup Drivers Council meeting featuring a committee of nine drivers chosen through various criteria and high-ranking NASCAR executives.
Previously France had chosen to not attend these meetings believing his previous presence would restrict the open dialogue he sought between participants and the sanctioning body that frequently meets to discuss issues primarily relating to safety and competition. That decision was criticized by Stewart, a council member, in January.
The council is comprised of Stewart, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson and Joey Logano, all of whom were present Friday.
France did not take part in the entirety of the three-hour session held in the Sprint Cup garage due to it running long and another commitment, but did open the session by speaking. Higdon did not divulge specific topics discussed, but said the meeting centered on items pertaining to 2016 and 2017.
“Brian spoke a lot,” Higdon said. “He started the meeting. He interjected throughout [with] good dialogue.”
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