NASCAR acts on bump drafting

Reigning Nextel Cup champion Stewart said he believes that someone will be killed this weekend in either the Gatorade Duels or Daytona 500 if the level of bump drafting - where a driver literally pushes another competitor forward to advance his position - is not significantly reduced.

Stewart advocated a soft bumper on the cars, so a driver is penalised aerodynamically should he touch another car, however NASCAR organisers have come up with an alternative method, by introducing 'no bump drafting zones' in parts of the track.

More NASCAR officials will be placed in these zones to watch for bump drafting for the remainder of week. These 'no-zones' are likely to be in the corners of the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.

Vice president of competition Robin Pemberton and Nextel Cup director John Darby outlined their plan at a special media Luncheon on Tuesday.

"What we are going to do for the rest of the week as the races unfold is to add no-zones where we might be forced to make a call where a bump draft is unnecessary," Darby said.

"We are going to talk to some of our competitors about the problem, and we may be put in some positions about competitors that we really don't want to be put in.

"Bump drafting is not new. It is something we have watched for many, many years and we have seen some exciting races in lower formula.

"A bump draft at the right time and the right place is not the worst thing in the world but as it evolves, but it has not evolved to such a point where we change the term bump drafting to slam drafting."

Penalties might range from a simple drive-through penalty to an exclusion, depending on the severity of the bump draft, and whether it has been carried out by a repeat offender.

"As we go forward and try and control bump drafting there is going to be some very subjective calls," Darby continued.

"That's the reason we would like to get this underway as quickly as possible. If we establish it in the twins then hopefully we don't have to make the call. And if we do have to make a call in Duels, it won't be as severe as having to make the call in the Daytona 500.

"Every bump draft is not going to create a penalty, every time a car touches another car is not going to create a penalty, but if there is an unnecessary hit, specifically in one of those zones, then we will have the power to act."

Pemberton said, however, that it is up to the drivers - rather than NASCAR, as Stewart suggested - to stop the procedure.

"Everybody has got to remember that drivers have the control," Pemberton said. "They have the pedals to push and steering wheels to turn.

"To leave it in our hands when we are not out there is not right. The yellow line rule is something that we have done and enforced.

"Tony gets heat up. Tony five minutes after a race, and Tony two hours after the race are two different things."