At times it appears that NASCAR officials and the sport’s drivers are at odds over the rules; however, the safety of the drivers is a top priority for everyone in the sport.

After a failed attempt to form a driver’s council in 2014, some of the drivers have formed a new council formed from drivers at the front of the field on a regular basis and drivers from further back in the field; as well as, a couple of former drivers.

Called the Drivers Advisory Council, the group hopes to aid in enhancing the communication between NASCAR officials and the drivers and crews.

Known for his emphasis on safety and always looking for ways to make a dangerous sport less so for the drivers, Jeff Burton was often called The Mayor when he was a drivers.  Now a member of the NBC Sports broadcast crew, Burton has been tapped to head the council.  Fellow BNC Sports broadcasting crew member Kyle Petty is also a part of the new advisory council.

Other council members include driver/owner Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Corey LaJoie, and Daniel Suarez.

Each member of the council will be a representative for a smaller group of drivers; a la a representative and constituents. 

Denny Hamlin spoke on being a part of the council saying, “as a current driver and also a team owner, I now see things from a different perspective and that has made me appreciate the importance of collaboration across the industry. The new council will deliver a unified, collective voice from the drivers to help address any challenges we  f  ace and help accomplish the common goals the industry shares.”

Talk of relaunching the council began at the NASCAR Awards ceremony last December when drivers had issues with NASCAR moving to bring in the Next Gen car this season.

NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell spoke on the new advisory council saying, “collaboration is critical to our growth, and we welcome any opportunity to strengthen communication with our drivers.  We often look to drivers for input when making decisions that affect the sport, and the Drivers Advisory Council will help streamline that communication. Working together, we will continue to deliver the great NASCAR racing experience our fans expect and deserve.”

The Race Team Alliance  – a group of 14 Cup Series organizations – is supporting the new Driver Advisory Council.

President of Joe Gibbs Racing Dave Alpern noted, “having a formalized group through which the drivers can better communicate will be a great asset for all of us.”

Driver Joey Logano noted that the advisory council is,  “made up with experienced, forward-thinking drivers” who can help improve a broken communication system between the competitors and NASCAR stakeholders.  This will most definitely help clarify feedback from drivers and help move our sport forward with a unique perspective from behind the wheel.”

Mexican born driver and the only driver on the council to graduate from NASCAR’s diversity program Daniel Suarez added, “this will benefit present and future sponsors, our current and future fan base, as well as the teams and viewership in general — I say this with great sincerity and commitment to support this sport, the fans and the sponsors we represent.”