NASCAR adds rule to sports gambling policy
NASCAR has added a rule to their sports gambling policy, as the landscape of the issue continues to change.
On Wednesday, FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass took to Twitter to share the news. Evidently, it has to do with the promotion of certain sportsbooks, although none specifically were named in the process.
“NASCAR added this rule to its sports gambling policy today,” tweeted FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass. “Don’t believe there was any issue that led to it but NASCAR does periodically update language. NASCAR uses Sportradar as its gambling integrity partner to educate teams, track betting, etc.”
The added rule read as follows, via NASCAR: “NASCAR Members shall not promote any gambling sportsbooks that are not in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations relating to sports gambling within the United States.”
With the advent of sports-betting, there’s bound to be a myriad of changes year-in and year-out, and it looks like NASCAR simply is ensuring their rules are as up to date as possible on the matter.
That’s always a solid strategy, especially with something so fresh to the sport. It remains to be seen how sports-betting continues to evolve, but it’s here to stay in NASCAR, it seems.
NASCAR to issue ‘stern communication’ to drivers about sloppy restarts
Meanwhile, drivers in all three NASCAR series are about to receive a “stern communication” regarding sloppy restarts. Senior vice president of competition, Elton Sawyer, told SiriusXM Radio that the warning comes after a multi-car crash on a restart in the Xfinity Series in New Hampshire.
The crash came on a restart on Lap 71. No penalties or warnings were issued as a result, but it prompted Sawyer to send a message to drivers before the next race.
“If you think about that, there are two long lines the front row has established,” Sawyer said of New Hampshire, per Racer.com. “So, if you’re the second row, third row, fourth row, you’re looking through the windshield of your car and through the back glass and windshield of the car in front of you. Therefore, there is a lot going on just with that dynamic.
“I will preface this with I don’t think either race – the Cup race or the Xfinity – that our guys did a very good job on restarts. We’ll start there. As we unfolded and looked through the SMT data and just the optics, it felt like it happened maybe in the second or third row where cars were laying back.
“So, as we get into Pocono this weekend, there will be a very stern communication line to our drivers in all three series that laying back is not going to be acceptable as we go into the final stages of our regular season and as we go into the playoffs.”
Sawyer said the ultimate goal is to get the restarts cleaned up prior to the start of the playoffs. We’ll see if drivers heed the warning.