NASCAR debuts campaign to promote diversity, inclusion and equality

NASCAR debuted a public service announcement Friday that features some of its drivers, including six-time champion Jimmie Johnson, and promotes diversity, inclusion and equality within and outside of sports.

The video can be seen here.

The video comes about two months after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed House Bill 2 into law. The law, driven by the issue of which bathroom transgender people can use, repealed local LGBT anti-discrimination laws. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this month that the league is looking at “alternatives” for the 2017 All-Star Game, which is scheduled to be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, should the law not be changed.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France stated April 21 in a meeting with The Associated Press Sports Editors that “any discrimination, unintended or not … we don’t like that.”

Other drivers joining Johnson in the video are Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, Kyle Larsonand Darrell Wallace Jr. NASCAR partnered with the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) with the campaign. France is a founding member of the RISE Board of Directors. The initiative was founded by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

“Discrimination has no place in our society, which is why we have partnered with RISE and Stephen Ross to help put an end to intolerance in sports,” France said in a statement. “With the help of our talented drivers who support this important message, we want to reinforce our sport’s unwavering commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion.”

Last year, NASCAR was among various sports organizations that expressed its objections to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence in March 2015. Gov. Pence signed an amended law last year.

Drivers appreciate Brian France’s appearance at meeting

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski both praised NASCAR Chairman Brian France for attending Friday night’s meeting with the Sprint Cup Drivers Council at Talladega Superspeedway.

France met with the nine-member drivers group for about an hour before leaving for a prior commitment. The meeting went an additional two hours with drivers talking with other NASCAR senior executives including Steve O’Donnell, executive vice president and chief racing development officer.

“There’s a tremendous amount of good faith that is earned when Brian comes to a meeting,’’ Keselowski said Saturday.

France previously had said he felt it would be best not to be at the meetings to avoid stifling any of the discussion. Tony Stewart suggested in January that France should be more visible in part by attending the meetings.

“It was great that Brian came,’’ Earnhardt said.

Keselowski called the meeting “productive” without revealing details of what was discussed.

“I think there were a lot of takeaways to make the sport better, so that was a really positive step in the right direction,’’ Keselowski said.

“I think three or four years ago, someone asked me, ‘How is this sport going to move forward?’ I pointed to the NFL model of councils and committees. That’s how you can collaborate key stakeholders to get them to the same agenda. That’s exactly where we are going. I think that’s an extremely positive step for everyone.’’

Earnhardt said “nothing groundbreaking” came from the meeting. “It was just a good, positive meeting. A lot of good things moving in a good direction.’’

NASCAR Chairman Brian France explains why Tony Stewart was fined

Tony Stewart said Sunday that he wasn’t sure why he was fined $35,000 last week by NASCAR after comments he made about officials not requiring teams to tighten all five lug nuts on each wheel.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Monday that Stewart’s fine was based on what he said and how he said it.

“Tony has been very aware of how we approach from a criticism standpoint of the sport and the product of the racing itself and safety is paramount,’’ France told host Dave Moody. “Tony is very aware of how we look at that.’’

After a spate of loose wheels earlier this month, Stewart told reporters last week that “for all the work and everything, all the bulletins and all the new stuff we have to do to superspeedway cars and all these other things they want us to do for safety, we can’t even make sure we put five lug nuts on the wheel.

“It’s not even mandatory anymore. I mean, you don’t have to have but one on there if you don’t want. It’s however many you think you can get away with. So we’re putting the drivers in jeopardy to get track position. …  With all the crap we’re going through with all the safety stuff, and for them to sit there and sit on their hands on this one.”

France explained on “SiriusXM Speedway” how Stewart crossed the line.

“I think we have to make judgment calls and how we look at the tone of what someone says, how they’re saying it,’’ France said. “They have ample opportunities, particularly with safety, to deal with us directly on that. But to insinuate that we’re taking the sport down a road that doesn’t care about safety or we’re trying to hurt people, those kind of comments, that goes to the integrity of the sport and we’ll have to deal with that. We go way beyond what any other league would allow in terms of how far people can go in voicing their view.

“There’s just a little line out there that is a bright line and everybody is aware of. Every once in a while we’ll have a driver or somebody else that gets over that line and we’ll just have to deal with it. It’s not a big thing. We deal with it. They understand it and we move on. That’s how it goes.’’

NASCAR announced Monday it was updating its rules on lug nuts immediately.