SOUT H BOSTON, VA :: An often controversial subject in any form of racing is the start-and-park practice. Last year, South Boston Speedway saw a great number of start-and-park cars during the summer months as Lee Pulliam was chasing his second consecutive NASCAR Whelen All American Series. It wasn’t unusual to see four or five cars pull off the track after completing only one lap and parking.
Changes in South Boston Speedway’s general track rules for the 2014 season now clarify the difference between a start-and-park car and a backup cars, stating that cars registered as backup cars that don’t complete at least half of the race will be considered start-and-park cars and earnings will be considered at the track’s discretion.
RACE22.com contacted South Boston Speedway General Manager Cathy Rice for clarification on the new rule, such as how it may pertain to drivers who fall out of a race because of an accident.
“You always add discretion to rules because, most of the time you know if John Doe brings in two cars, we know it’s his backup car and you see that in twin races,” Rice said. “It’s just like Cup. If they tech two or three cars. I will say a lot of comments have come out about rules. You just have to look at the situation and what happens.”
Start-and-park cars often show up to races to boost car counts, primarily in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series title fight where car counts matter in the big picture. In previous years, tracks needed 20 cars for a driver to get maximum points with a win. In 2014, NASCAR has reduced the full-field car count number to 18. In many cases, championship contenders field multiple cars of their own and, in some cases, even pay other drivers to field cars and park after a couple laps to boost the car counts.
Rice doesn’t feel South Boston’s new procedures will change that practice in anyway and said she’s unfamiliar with instances of drivers being paid by other drivers to start-and-park at South Boston Speedway.
“We don’t pay them to start-and-park and I’m not aware of stuff like that happening with the drivers,” Rice remarked. “What you find is that you have a John Doe who’s running for points and he brings in two cars because we have twin races and he brings them in as a backup car if he needs it and if he doesn’t need it and needs to build a car count, he says ‘let me get Suzy start the car since she has a license and experience’ and most of the time, they tell the tower it’s a start-and-park car.”
When asked why the track suddenly took issue with start-and-park cars after Lee Pulliam won two championships with the aid of start-and-park drivers and why the track made the change now, Rice said it’s always been procedure not to pay out for start-and-park cars and that the changes more clearly define what a start-and-park car is.
“It’s not a big change,” Rice explained. “I don’t see a big issue with it. This has been in effect and it might have been overlooked. It’s not new to us or the track. These are, like I said, going back to twin races, they’re going to use both cars or may not use another car.”
Rice also spoke about the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown coming to South Boston Speedway and how excited she is for the track to host the race.
“The Denny Hamlin race will be very exciting. The drivers are excited to come run the race. Denny and other drivers are coming back and we’re glad to have them back. We’re excited about raising money for the Denny Hamlin Foundation and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We hope we can fill the shoes of everyone and have a great turnout for that charity for Denny.”
While South Boston’s rules clarify what defines start-and-park, other tracks have a more simple approach. At Franklin County Speedway, for example, if a driver doesn’t buy a set of tires at the track, they don’t get paid.
