The number of seats is being reduced at some NASCAR tracks, but in some cases there's more butt room.
After a 2009 season marked by attendance decline, several NASCAR tracks have reduced grandstand capacities.
For instance, Daytona International Speedway now seats 146,000, down from 168,000. Phoenix International Raceway's seating has been reduced to 56,000, making it the Sprint Cup Series' smallest venue (in seating) behind Martinsville and Darlington, both at 63,000).
The area of seating isn't being reduced. At both Daytona and Phoenix, seats are being widened from 18 to 22 inches.
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BIFFLE GETS A PARROTT--Brad Parrott will serve as Greg Biffle's Nationwide Series crew chief with Baker Curb Racing.
Parrott and Biffle worked together in 2004, when Biffle finished third in what were then the Busch Series point standings.
With over 20 years' NASCAR experience, Parrott, whose father Buddy is a mechanic and crew chief of legendary renown, has worked for teams owned by Roger Penske, Robert Yates, Jack Roush and Chip Ganassi.
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MORE BRAWN AT BRAUN--Bill Wilburn has joined the Braun Racing organization as crew chief for rookie contender Brian Scott in the Nationwide Series. Wilburn moves over from Kevin Harvick Inc., where he most recently worked with Ricky Carmichael.
For the first time, Todd Braun's team is entering the Sprint Cup Series in a limited deal with Dollar General, which will sponsor the team's No. 32 Toyota at races in Daytona, Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis and Charlotte.
Reed Sorenson will be the team's driver in the Cup series.
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UPS AND DOWNS-The October Cup race at Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, Calif.) has been reduced from 500 to 400 miles. The Chase event will be renamed the Pepsi Max 400.
On the other hand, the April 10 race at Phoenix will be increased by 63 laps, raising the distance from 312 (500 kilometers) to 375 miles.
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EXPANSION- Front Row Motorsports announced it was expanding its Sprint Cup presence and moving over to Ford in order to receive Roush-Yates engines and technical support from Dearborn.
The team's drivers are incumbent Travis Kvapil and Kevin Conway. Both drivers hope to debut at the Daytona 500. No sponsor has yet been announced for Conway's entry.
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FASTER, SAFER GLEN--Watkins Glen International officials announced improvements in the racing surface of the historic New York road course, adding additional paved and run-off areas and reducing the space dedicated to gravel traps.
The track is adding SAFER barriers (i.e., soft walls) at key points.