INDIANAPOLIS, IN (November 9, 2018) – With a wildly successful 2018 campaign in the rear view mirror, the focus for the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League is now the 2019 season and beyond. The WAR staff has been working diligently to prepare for the new year, and one of the hottest topics and concerns has been the newly-formed Sprint Car Council and any possible rule changes forthcoming.
Following the tragic passing of Jason Johnson in June, the Sprint Car Council was formed in August and first met during the Knoxville Nationals with the priority of safety at the forefront.
The World of Outlaws immediately implemented a handful of rule changes for the 2019 season that affected the chassis support bars, slip joints, wing t-posts, steel left front radius rods and rod ends, nerf bars, the elimination of bolt-to-bolt axle tethers and the securing of fuel cells. Just this week, ASCS announced they will follow suit and update their 2019 rulebook in accordance with the Sprint Car Council, affecting all aforementioned components.
POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League Director Casey Shuman attended the most recent Sprint Car Council meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the World Racing Group headquarters. The meeting that brought together series officials, track operators, chassis manufacturers, drivers and other stakeholders. Along with the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League, representatives from other sanctioning bodies included the World of Outlaws, the All-Star Circuit of Champions, the American Sprint Car Series and the Interstate Racing Association, among others.
“I appreciate being invited to be part of the Sprint Car Council, and I 100% stand behind the goals they are striving for,” said WAR Sprint League Director Casey Shuman, “ I believe that a real conversation about safety is long overdue. With that said, I have to keep in mind that the premier level sanctioning bodies, such as the World of Outlaws, will be able to adapt and implement these rules in a shorter timetable than we can. Our WAR teams are hard-working people, and majority are family owned teams who are operating on strict budgets to compete each season. I do not want to put them in a position that is unmanageable financially by asking for a relatively expensive update on their racing programs without giving them a realistic timeline.”
With the Council’s changes being implemented by several of the nation’s top sanctioning bodies, the WAR staff carefully deliberated the updates before making a final decision, remaining aware that swift rule changes will dramatically affect many of the lower-level series and teams.
Therefore, the changes will not be mandatory to race with the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League in 2019. WAR remains supportive of the efforts of the Sprint Car Council and will continue to attend meetings, and will explore the possibility of implementing new safety requirements in the future.
“The safety of the drivers that race with us is our top priority,” said Shuman, “We will continue to be part of the Council, take part in conversations and find a way to implement new rules over time - in a way that keeps our teams financially able to compete and increase their safety awareness.”
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- administrator on Nov 10, 2018
- Article Date: 11/10/2018 by Brian Walker