Chat Transcript: Jim Hunter

August 15, 2001
3:53 PM EDT (1953 GMT)

[Nascar_Host1] Welcome to NASCAR.com's chat with Jim Hunter!

[Jim_Hunter] Thank you to all the fans for coming here this afternoon. I look forward to answering your questions.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [racingfan512] With all the new tracks out there, why does NASCAR still run road races?

[Jim_Hunter] Well, I think it is because the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship is designed to reward the absolute best stock car racer in a variety of venues, and that includes superspeedways such as Daytona and Talladega, intermediate tracks such as Darlington and Rockingham, short tracks such as Bristol and Martinsville, and this also goes for road courses such as Watkins Glen and Sears Point. If a driver can perform well on all of those venues, that is what it is all about.

Road courses are an important segment in determining the best overall driver and team because you have to turn left and right. You have to shift gears. You have to use the brakes, so road courses are an important part of the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship process.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [NCBound] What made you decide to come back home to NASCAR?

[Jim_Hunter] I actually made this decision because at this point in my life, I still have a passion for NASCAR. NASCAR is in the process of restructuring its public relations department and I had an opportunity to get involved, and I jumped at it.

I think under the leadership of president Mike Helton and the other young guys like George Pyne, Paul Brooks and Brian France, there is a lot of young, talented people. It is an opportunity for a guy like myself that has been around for ages to be a part of helping NASCAR to take the next step.

We want to become even better, and I hope to contribute and I believe in having fun. It is the greatest sport in the world, and obviously I am biased, but it is an opportunity for me to share some experiences and have some fun and make a contribution before I get too old, and I love it!

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [jpkc97] Why does NASCAR continue to refuse to add a second Cup race date (much less a Busch date) to Texas? It's one of the biggest crowds, payoffs, etc.

[Jim_Hunter] There are a number of factors in determining a schedule each year. Texas is a venue that wants a second event, but there are others that have also expressed great interest in a second event such as Phoenix. I think the loyalty of NASCAR is a factor as it determines schedules for the future, and there are any numbers of factors that have to weigh in.

Overnight, NASCAR can't simply make a decision to award a new event or take away an existing event. It is a complex situation when you are trying to schedule events. Texas is certainly one of the great stops on the NASCAR circuit. They do things big in everything in Texas! Eddie Gossage and his staff there at his track in Texas have done an outstanding job.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [joni24] Hi, Jim. There are reports saying that the front end of the cars are not safe enough. Do you agree?

[Jim_Hunter] I am thinking NASCAR's cars are safe, as safety has been our No. 1 priority since Bill France Sr. founded NASCAR 53 years ago. Safety is an ongoing process. It is an evolution and NASCAR has been a leading advocate for innovation and changes over the years.

Many of the changes NASCAR has introduced have been embraced by the auto industry for use in passenger cars. One of the safety improvements that NASCAR has been involved with over the years is the development of (and continuous improvement of) rollcages for driver protection for when the cars turn over.

Other improvements have been inner liners for tires, fuel cells, which certainly reduces the chances for fire, and just a few years ago, the addition of roof flaps, which helps to keep the cars close to the ground when they get sideways, and that certainly reduces risk to drivers.

However, with respect to the front end of the cars, we will continue to work on and try to improve on the front ends, as well as other parts on the car. There again it is a complex issue and it is a constant issue of what you do in one area of the car has an effect on some other area of the car and you have to weigh all of that, which is probably why NASCAR is sometimes taken to task for being slow.

The reason for that is that NASCAR's biggest goal from Bill France Sr. to Bill France Jr. today is that NASCAR has always been guided by doing the right thing, even if it is not always popular or easily understood.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [raceykasey] Hi Jim, I have noticed that a lot of drivers have installed a new big net inside their cars on the right side of the seat. I have not heard anyone comment on the nets. Why have some drivers installed them?

[Jim_Hunter] That is the cocoon area of the car, which is the driver compartment. NASCAR allows the teams some latitude when it comes to safety and how comfortable those drivers are in that compartment. That is probably what you have seen. You will see different things from time to time due to all the drivers being different sizes. It is not like one size fits all, so that is probably what you have seen.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [neowj24] What kind of impact do you think NASCAR's Earnhardt investigation results will have on fans?

[Jim_Hunter] I think it is going to have a positive result. There is no doubt in my mind that this has been the most comprehensive and thorough investigation in NASCAR's history.

We have had the best and brightest experts in a number of areas. We have had scientists. It is an independent team of the brightest people we could find to study and come back with scientific evidence on what went on.

It certainly generated a wealth of information and the reason I think it will have a positive impact is because so much has been learned that NASCAR drivers, owners, and manufacturers are getting a wealth of information from this investigation that can be used in the future.

One of the other positive impacts is I think that this information that has been gathered will be combined with information that has been available over the years so that other accidents as they occur, we will be able to help the industry overall in making solid, safety-related decisions moving forward.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Lividup] Do you have any tips or suggestions for me on how to make going to my first NASCAR race a great experience?

[Jim_Hunter] First is to learn everything you can from NASCAR.com. Stay logged on! Study the points standings, read the information you can get on the different teams, and actually, there is also a book out called "NASCAR for Dummies," and I don't mean to say that someone who hasn't been to a race is one. I am simply stating the title. When I want to improve my golf game, I use "Golf for Dummies."

The book will give a layperson a good overview, but there is so much information on the internet these days that there are other sites outside of NASCAR.com, like jayski.com and thatsracin.com, that have great information.

I would certainly get a program at the track because that gives you all the numbers of the cars and I would pick some drivers after reading and educating myself. I would pick three, four or five drivers to pull for during my first race.

The reason for that is that there are so many factors that go into the results of a race or the way the events wind up. I have heard fans tell me that it is so disappointing for them when their driver is in a fender-bender in the fifth lap of 200 lap race and that ends his day. That is why I say to pick a few to pull for.

Because of the hot summer, drink plenty of liquids and fluids and dress comfortably for the event. Get a headhugger radio. That is a great tool and listen while the race is going on to the broadcast, whether it is MRN or some other network that carries the broadcast.

Race fans are great about sharing information with newcomers. I think that is one of the benefits of attending a race or becoming a NASCAR fan. Fans are willing to share information, so if you have a grandstand ticket, ask the people next to you, "How do you watch the race?" "What do I look for?" "How do I follow it?" "How do you know who is running where?" "Where is the scoreboard?" and usually you will meet people at race events that you become life-long friends with.

I have heard from more and more fans that they enjoy going to Charlotte for the same event every year or Darlington every year because in addition to watching the races, they park in the same places and cook out and socialize and visit with people from different parts of the country. There is a bonding due to the fact that our NASCAR fans do have a passion for their sport.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [joni24] Hi, Jim. What is your opinion regarding Bill Simpson's resignation?

[Jim_Hunter] I think Bill Simpson has been a great contributor to motorsports over the years. He has been an innovator and a strong supporter of all forms of motorsports. All of us at NASCAR wish Bill well.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Noelle_dalejrfan] Jim, how do you feel about some fans not being able to see some of the races because of the limited access to FX and CNNSI?

[Jim_Hunter] I think it just takes time over the years to do this. You cant please everyone all the time and I think the new TV contracts for the sport are great for the future of the sport and I think it will just take some time for it to get where it needs to be.

I can remember years ago when ESPN first started televising the races, there was a limited audience and limited availability. The availability will certainly improve as we move forward and I think FOX did an outstanding job the first half of the season, and NBC is going to continue that. The ratings are out of sight, and our Busch Series is the No. 1 ranked motorsport on TV behind Winston Cup, which I think is terrific.

I think that is great because people who are interested in delivering some marketing message through motorsports need to be aware that the Busch Series is the No. 2 watched series on TV. I hope the fans that are having some difficulty finding the races on TV today hang in there with us because it will all work out in the end.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [Has] What is your opinion on retiring car numbers?

[Jim_Hunter] I don't think that we should retire car numbers simply because even with double digits, you can only go from No. 00 up to No. 99. There is always the possibility of having that many teams running at any particular time and I think there are other ways to honor the great drivers in our sport other than retiring the number.

Plus, I will give you another example. There are times when the continuity of a number is to keep it out there. It serves as a constant reminder of whom had the number prior as it changes hands over time. To some people when you think of a number you think of one driver and the next generation thinks of another. I know there will be people that will disagree with me, and that is OK, too.

[Nascar_Host1] Question from: [beaglegirl] Why do race tickets have to be so expensive? Will they keep getting higher?

[Jim_Hunter] This is an issue, and of course this issue is not just about the cost of tickets to a race. This is the cost of doing anything today. Somewhere along the way the economics of racing required the tracks to pay big purses, and to do that they have to sell all their seats at a premium dollar.

The teams have to have sponsors who pay premium prices for using a team as a marketing tool, and I think what fans are going to see at least in the near future is a leveling off of costs, and it becomes a supply and demand issue.

I can tell you that NASCAR as a whole and the tracks are guided and listen to the fans, and I think most of the tracks today are looking at ways to accommodate those fans who can only afford "x" dollars to attend an event. Tracks are really looking at staying in touch with their base of fans, and I certainly hope they continue to do that.

[Nascar_Host1] Unfortunately that's all the time Jim has for us this afternoon. Thanks, Jim! What are your final thoughts?

[Jim_Hunter] One message I would like to leave with you is that you need to know that everyone involved with NASCAR racing truly appreciates the fan, because without the fan, we wouldn't be here.

I feel very fortunate to have a career in NASCAR, and actually I owe that career to the fans, because if you didn't want to see the events, there would be no need for a guy like me. Plus, I enjoy real people and NASCAR's fans over time (and I am sure they will continue to be this way) are opinionated, passionate and dedicated to this sport, and I personally enjoy that.

Hopefully we will get to meet some of you fans. I say hello to different people at every race and that is a really fun part of my life. I like meeting different people in different parts of the country, so with that I will say thanks for having me on, and give my regards to MartDog!