NASCAR changes two pit rules for safety reasons

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Citing safety concerns, NASCAR has made two adjustments to its 2008 pit road rules for its three national touring series. (Swan: Pit dangers)

Sprint Cup Series director John Darby addressed the two changes Wednesday, the final day of the opening session of Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway, which is also the site of each series' opening event during Speedweeks 2008 in February.

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In the first, over-the-wall pit crews in the Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series will no longer be allowed to push-start their stalled race vehicles for more than three pit stalls beyond their assigned service area.

Darby said that in the past, for example, if a vehicle ran out of fuel on its way to its pit box for refueling, it might not readily restart, thus "the crews might have to push the vehicle the full length of pit road, while everyone else was entering and exiting the pits, and that's not a real good situation.

"We've limited crews to the same three-box length for pushing as the vehicles can drive through getting onto pit road."

Darby said if the vehicle does not restart within the three-box limit, it would have to be returned to its assigned pit box to be worked on.

"We're much more comfortable with them pushing it back to the pit box and getting it started than we were with them pushing it the length of pit road," Darby said.

The actual rule book states "...Cars may not be pushed past the flag person at the end of the pit road. Unless otherwise authorized, once the race is underway, cars may be started by hand pushing in the pit area only, but under no circumstances is any car to be hand pushed more than three pit boxes away from their assigned pit box or into the acceleration zone or onto the race track from the pit area. Cars may not receive any assistance after the white flag has been displayed, except those cars making pit stops ..."

In the second, outside tires that have been removed from a vehicle during a pit stop can no longer be free-rolled from the outside of the pit box to the pit wall; rather, they must be hand-directed to the inner half of the pit box before being released.

"The way we saw the procedure develop, the tires were going, unattended, back to the pit wall," Darby said. "As long as their aim was correct, and nothing was in the way it works pretty good -- but typically it was not a good situation.

"So now we've mandated that the tire changer or carrier has to hand-roll or pick up the tire and carry it to the inside of the pit box."

The actual rule book states "A team member must be in contact with the outside tire(s) until the outside tire(s) reach the inside half of the pit box before the car leaves its assigned pit box. Any tires left in the outside half of the assigned pit box, or beyond, will result in a time or other penalty ..."