NASCAR Drivers on Own to Plan for Future

By CHRIS JENKINS
AP Sports Writer

February 6, 2007, 7:56 PM EST

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In a world of million-dollar motorhomes, private jets and McMansions on nearby Lake Norman, it's hard to argue NASCAR drivers are underpaid. But all that wealth can't hide this fact: No major league takes a more hands-off approach toward its competitors' future than NASCAR.

"You really have to plan for things you don't think are going to happen," said veteran Jeff Burton, who cautions fellow drivers to spend, save and invest conservatively because a career-ending injury could lurk around the next turn.

"You have to paint a worst-case scenario," he said.

At a time when nearly every other major sport has some sort of pension program for athletes past and present, NASCAR does nothing.

Drivers are beginning to wonder why.

"It doesn't mean that we need to be paid more in salary," said Tony Stewart, a two-time Cup champion. "But it'd be nice to see them take care of us after we race, or take care of the ones that came up before."

In a sport that celebrates rugged individualism and personal responsibility, drivers are on their own to prepare for life after racing.

NASCAR vice president of communications Jim Hunter said that because NASCAR is not structured like other sports, it isn't fair to make a direct comparison on pension plans.

"We are not like other sports," Hunter said. "The drivers are not employees of NASCAR. They're independent contractors."

Unlike their crew members, who get full benefits and 401(k) plans from their teams, drivers are responsible for their finances, health care, retirement and life insurance.

Although NASCAR has discussed a pension fund before, Hunter said the idea never went anywhere because of the difficulty of determining who might be eligible.

Would crew members get money, too? And what about Busch and Craftsman Truck series drivers?

And, of course, somebody would have to pay.

Hunter said NASCAR hypothetically could take a slice out of each race's prize-money pool to fund a pension, but wondered how that would be any better for drivers.

"Would the money be better served in a pension fund or being paid out now to where guys can set aside money on their own?," Hunter said.

When it comes to talk of funding a pension, many in the garage area privately point to the staggering 65 percent chunk of television contract revenue that goes to racetracks -- 12 of which, including Daytona International Speedway, are owned by International Speedway Corp., a company run by the same France family that controls NASCAR.

Although Jeff Gordon and Stewart speak openly about the possibility of a pension fund, most drivers remain silent on what is seen as a sensitive issue within NASCAR. The Associated Press distributed 45 anonymous surveys during preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway in an attempt to determine drivers' insurance coverage. Only seven were returned.

This much is clear: Many top drivers carry disability insurance policies costing $100,000 per year or more. Such policies are arranged through high-end firms such as Lloyd's of London and will pay a driver's salary for a year or more after a serious injury. If the injury ends a career, the driver would receive a multimillion-dollar payout.

Health insurance isn't as costly as disability. NASCAR carries $1.05 million in medical insurance for competitors, but drivers consider it a "last to pay" policy and don't count on it.

Still, some drivers skimp on insurance -- at their peril. Jerry Nadeau was able to pay his medical bills after sustaining serious head injuries in a 2003 crash, but he didn't have enough disability insurance to keep his house. He has no steady income today.

Players in the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB all have strong unions that negotiated pension plans as part of their collective bargaining agreement with the leagues.

Athletes in other sports don't depend entirely on pensions to take care of them in the event of a career-ending injury. And others' pension plans aren't perfect -- a small group of retired NFL players have criticized the NFL's plan for providing only a few hundred dollars a month to old-timers who have crippling health problems.

But at least they get something.

NASCAR drivers have no union. In 1969, the top drivers, including Richard Petty, led a movement to unionize drivers, but it fell apart when NASCAR founder Bill France brought in replacement drivers.

"My concern is that if that communication doesn't get better and doesn't include more groups, then it's going to force the hand," four-time series champion Gordon said. "And I don't think that's a good thing."

Hunter said drivers don't need a union, because officials have an open-door policy and look after drivers' interests.

But Gordon wants NASCAR officials to take drivers' concerns about benefits more seriously.

"I just think as it gets bigger, you've got to start dealing with some of these things that have been swept under the rug for so long," he said.