NASCAR Rules And Regulations - Too Young?

"It's a big business, but you have to get your experience somewhere. My guess is, since we've had some serious things happen in NASCAR over the last three years, that it has turned into more of a liability issue. Plus, we have title sponsors (R.J. Reynolds cigarettes and Busch beer) that have some conflict with having underage drivers. I was really excited about seeing some of the young up-and-coming talent that comes through the Busch and Truck series. Casey Atwood is a perfect example because he did incredibly well in the Busch Series right away."

Martin says he's disappointed, but not going to bash NASCAR. He says the sanctioning body has important reasons for adopting the rule.

"Now, the young kids will just have to get that experience outside of NASCAR," Martin says. "I hate to see NASCAR block out 16- and 17-year-olds, but those drivers can get experience elsewhere."

One such place is the American Speed Association, where some of the greatest drivers in NASCAR-including Martin-made their way up the racing ladder.

"You do all the same things in ASA racing that you do in NASCAR," Martin says. "The ASA is a great place to gain experience. It puts you through the whole deal of going through pit stops and tire management. Those are the types of things you don't necessarily have to get in a NASCAR style car. It's where I got my experience and won four championships to make a name for myself before I came to Winston Cup.

"The ASA cars are a little bit different, but the racing is a lot the same. Most importantly, ASA racing is safe because most of the tracks are less than a half-mile and drivers don't have to deal with 180 mph speeds."

Exceptions
However, there are exceptions to the rule. Shelby Howard, for example, can still race in ARCA thanks to a "grandfather" clause he earned by competing on superspeedways and getting experience last year. The 16-year-old 10th grader will run the entire ARCA schedule this season. He had hopes of an opportunity in the Busch or Truck series.

"If it wasn't for us getting the grandfather clause, it would have made it really tough," Howard says. "We would have really had to backtrack to find another division to race in. It would have been totally heartbreaking because of all the effort this team and I put forth if we had had to stop because of this rule. For the guys it did affect, I know it's had to have been tough on them."

Howard has talent, make no mistake about it, as he showed at Daytona in the 2002 ARCA season-opener by leading a few laps while learning the art of draft. To keep up with school, he has a full-time, traveling tutor. "I'm sure NASCAR has a good reason for making the age rule, because it does have to set limits," Howard says. "It's probably going to eliminate some problems and take some of the heat off its back. If I wouldn't have got lucky and still been able race this year in ARCA, I probably wouldn't agree with it just because it affected me."

Tough Break
Most drivers, however, aren't fortunate enough to receive a grandfather clause. Case in point is Kyle Busch, the 17-year-old brother of Winston Cup driver Kurt Busch. Kyle drove in the Truck series in 2001, but this season has had to switch to ASA competition because of NASCAR's age rule. He was set to drive the No. 99 truck of Roush Racing and compete for Rookie of the Year.

"Just a few months ago, I thought I would be competing in the trucks, and then the rule change occurred, and for a time I thought that I wouldn't be able to race in any series," Busch says.

Much younger drivers, like 11-year-old Legends driver Joey Lagano, are hard at work charting their next move.

"I guess it's good for safety, but personally I don't like it," says Lagano, who lives in Alpharetta, Georgia. "I don't think it will hold me back all that much because there are other options like the ASA. I hope not anyway."