Craftsman Truck Series teams have been sent a memo regarding changes to the NASCAR pit crews’ fire suits next season. Teams will have to put in place the new restrictions in a scheme that could prove damaging for teams at the back of the grid.
NASCAR is placing design restrictions on both over-the-wall and behind-the-wall fire suits that crews of the race teams must wear from 2025. A memo was sent to teams on Tuesday which outlined the latest stringent guidelines.
The restrictions mean behind-the-wall pit crew members will need to have a submitted design for their fire suits. However, the suits are prohibited from displaying sponsorship branding and must adhere to the list of other rules.
Guidelines state that the colours of the behind-the-wall suits are at the team’s discretion which will likely keep most of the teams remaining in their distinguished colours. However, those colors must be consistent across an organization.
While no sponsorship branding is allowed, the Craftsman, Sunoco, Goodyear and NASCAR bar logos are highly recommended to be displayed but are not required.
However, the team’s sponsorship branding restrictions do change regarding which part of the team wears them. Over-the-wall pit crew members will need to have a submitted design for their fire suits for the entire season and sponsorship branding is allowed.
There is a similar approach with crew member garage shirts which also remain at the team’s discretion and sponsorship branding is allowed. The idea for the regulations is to discourage teams from printing one-off suits for individual races and keeping a generic look off-camera for every participating team.
The restrictions could have a significant effect on the budget of teams at the back of the grid who have been using hand-me-down or second-hand suits from previous seasons. This rule will affect that market and will prove to not be cost-effective for teams currently using the ploy.
Amid NASCAR introducing more stringent policies into the Truck Series, Reaume Brothers Racing’s owner Josh Reaume has taken to social media to reveal the struggles being faced by teams in the competition.
When asked if he was expecting cuts in the field, the racer/owner replied, “Not that I’ve heard but I don’t expect full fields for all the races in 2025. The cost to participate has climbed.”
The 34-year-old added: “Rules typically limit our to be creative in finding cost-effective solutions. For instance next year, teams will be required to have non-sponsor-branded behind-the-wall fire suits. This is removing a sellable asset from teams.”
The Truck Series is considered a feeder source for the Cup and Xfinity Series, two series that have higher audience viewership and financial backing.
This news appeared first on @Express
