NASCAR has named Chip Wile, former chief track properties officer, as executive director of the Drivers’ Advisory Council and revealed other members and fans on social media and not thrilled. The Drivers’ Advisory Council was formed in 2022 to give drivers a voice on safety for the Next Gen car and competition issues.
The group, which was earlier led by Jeff Burton, works with NASCAR leadership on safety policy and technical rules. The council also serves as a central forum for driver feedback on race procedures and testing. Veteran reporter Bob Pockrass posted the council roster and the hire on X and shared that Burton will remain as an adviser to the council director.
The board includes William Byron, Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, and Michael McDowell. Former drivers Kurt Busch and Kyle Petty, plus former Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis, will also join the council.
But fans were not happy with the new members and demanded a place for themselves.
“What about the fans? Where is their voice?” a fan asked.
“There should be a fan on the board too. Educated fans know as much as these guys & they’re the ones paying the bills🤷♂️🏁🏁,” another stated.
Some fans also wanted at least one seat reserved for a fan representative.
“Need [Mark Martin] on here,” a fan wrote.
“Joey Logano, Jeff Burton and Kyle Petty on this council. Yep, we’re never getting rid of playoffs,” another fan wrote.
“Can’t do better than Jeff Burton and Kyle Petty? Good grief,” yet another shared.
Mark Martin has been the voice for older and loyal followers. The NASCAR Hall of Famer was part of the NASCAR Playoff Committee, which the sanctioning body created in early 2025 to gather input from teams, drivers, manufacturers, and partners to discuss. And Martin was one of the few who pushed and argued for ‘streaming’ for fans’ demand for the return of the old full-season points system.
NASCAR Playoff Format Announcement Expected By Mid to Late January
Speedweeks are just about 40 days away from Daytona International Speedway, and NASCAR has yet to reveal the new championship format. According to NASCAR insiders, the official announcement will come by the end of this month.
ESPN’s Kelley Crandall shared her expectation for the playoff format announcement by NASCAR on X last week, writing:
“My expectation is that it would be during the pre-season media rules briefing sometime this month, which is typically middle to later in the month. Unless they choose to do it as a separate announcement, which theoretically could come at any time.”
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series opener, the Daytona 500, is scheduled for February 15, 2026, while the lower two series will begin their seasons during Speedweeks (Craftsman Truck on Feb. 13 and O’Reilly on Feb. 14).
Also Read:
- Top 10 Ty Simpson Memes As Alabama QB Gets Benched In Beatdown vs Indiana
- “Belt To A**”: Indiana’s Early Game Rose Bowl Surge vs Alabama Draws Hilarious Reaction From Analyst
- Fans Back On ‘Fire Kalen DeBoer Bandwagon’ As Indiana Destroys Alabama In Rose Bowl Blowout
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
