Nascar to raise age limit in Sprint Cup Series?

openwheelracer · Admin/Mod/Eyewitness

Nascar to raise age limit in Sprint Cup Series?

openwheelracer · Admin/Mod/Eyewitness

From Jayski.com:

UPDATE: NASCAR sources confirmed Wednesday that the sanctioning body is considering raising the minimum age for drivers racing in the Sprint Cup Series from 18 to 21. Currently, drivers must be 18 to compete in the Cup, Nationwide or Craftsman Truck series. If a change is made, drivers between 18 and 21 would remain eligible for Nationwide and Truck competition but would have to wait to make the move into stock-car racings top series. There are concerns that young drivers are being moved up through the ranks too soon, and that more time in the second-tier series would give them time to develop their skills on the track and to mature off of it. Such a change could, theoretically, also bolster interest in the Nationwide and Truck series, since it would ensure that promising young drivers could build fan followings and attract sponsorships while competing at those lower levels.(Thats Racin)(1-18-2008)

openwheelracer · Admin/Mod/Eyewitness

From Nascar.com:

http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/cup/01/24/jgibbs.minimum.age/index.html

openwheelracer · Admin/Mod/Eyewitness

More from Jayski.com:

Change not near in Sprint Cup age limit: NASCAR president Mike Helton said an age requirement change for the Sprint Cup Series is not imminent, but NASCAR officials still are considering 21 as the age rule for future entry into the series. "If we do this, we will give plenty of advance notice," Helton said Thursday. "And we would have an adjustment period before it was implemented." Some people have assumed the idea of making the change was directed at teenage racing phenom Joey Logano, who will compete in NASCAR's Nationwide Series when he turns 18 in May. Logano is considered a rising star who could compete in Cup next season when he's still 18. "This is not the Joey Logano rule," Helton said. "In fact, whatever we do probably wouldn't affect him." Helton didn't get specific, but it's possible some drivers under 21 would get grandfathered in if the change happens. It's also possible the change would not go into effect until after Logano turns 21. Sprint Cup does not have any drivers until 21 this season. But several current drivers were racing in the series before they turned 21, including Kyle Busch, Reed Sorenson, Brian Vickers and Kyle Petty.(ESPN.com)(2-7-2008)