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CONCORD, NC – JANUARY 20: Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Mike Ford speaks with the media during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe’s Motor Speedway on January 20, 2009 at Joe Gibbs Racing in Huntersville, North Carolina. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images)
According to Nate Ryan of NASCAR.com, NASCAR’s managing director of communications, Mike Forde, talked about a new “remote race control” room on the Hauler Talk podcast. The new facility is inside NASCAR Productions in Concord, North Carolina, and it’s designed to make races fairer and safer.
Former NASCAR Cup Series director Scott Miller runs the center. It’s filled with big screens showing live video, sound, and race data. This helps NASCAR officials at the track make better, faster decisions during races.
Mike Forde said it’s like having “extra eyes and ears” to catch anything unusual. Officials already used this system in the playoffs, and it’s expected to help even more during the big Martinsville race weekend.
More Eyes on Every NASCAR Race
Mike Forde explained that the new control room will have more people working this weekend. “We’re going to have more officials helping Scott Miller,” Mike Forde said. “Typically, we have three or four. This weekend, we’ll have several more.”
Mike Forde added that it won’t be a huge crowd, but still a big team. “We’re not going to have 40 officials in there, but we are going to have a lot more and with the ability to scan team radio channels.”
This means NASCAR can listen to what teams are saying during the race. “We’ll have several more officials being able to listen to more radios at the same time,” Mike Forde said. “We’ll also have some of our backup race directors listening to the scanners as well.”
Mike Forde said everyone will be ready for action. “We’re going to have most hands on deck this weekend for all three races.”
Keeping the Races Fair
Mike Forde said the remote control room was nearly ready during last year’s Martinsville race, which had big problems with teams trying to change race results. To stop that from happening again, NASCAR added new rules for 2025.
Now, the rule book talks more about race manipulation, and there are tougher penalties for anyone, even manufacturers, who try to cheat. Crew chiefs also got a clear warning: don’t make shady radio calls.
“Cutoff races are where you see it the most,” Mike Forde said. “We’ll be on high alert this weekend, and hopefully, it won’t matter.”
He also said NASCAR isn’t trying to stop normal race talk. “If you’re talking about points, and it’s your car, and that communication is about trying to get your driver the best finish possible in that event, then you’re good to go,” Mike Forde explained. “It’s when you start talking about other positions is where our ears are going to perk up.”
New Tracks, New Tech
“During the same Hauler Talk episode, Jerry Kaproth, NASCAR’s managing director of NASCAR track development, talked about the new Naval Base Coronado street course in San Diego.”
“It’ll be more built out than it has been at any point, Mike Forde said”. The new setup shows how NASCAR is mixing technology and fresh ideas to keep racing exciting, safe, and fair for everyone.
Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce
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