Although drivers can communicate with their crew chief and spotter via radio inside the car, the monotonous rounds of the track — sometimes as many as 500 laps taking 3-4 hours — could potentially grow tedious. On an ordinary road trip, one might resort to music or snacks to pass the time, but such distractions are not an option in NASCAR.
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Racing at speeds upwards of 200 miles per hour demands undivided control and concentration, prohibiting any such diversions.
The point was highlighted back in 2015 during an interview with Jeff Gluck for the “12 Questions” series. When Martin Truex Jr. was queried on whether he would listen to music while racing if NASCAR permitted it, his response was unequivocally negative- “Absolutely not.”
He recalled an instance, “One time when we were down somewhere testing and it was really boring for a couple of days, I tried listening to a little mp3 player. And it was so distracting! When you’d go on the racetrack with that thing playing, it was like you were in outer space. So you’d just have to turn it off.”
Further elaborating, Truex said, “It was fine in the garage, but when you were on the racetrack, it was drowning out the noise of the race car and you just couldn’t hear it. It felt like you were completely disconnected from the car.”
Although the street car models from Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota, the current manufacturers of NASCAR vehicles, boast optional multi-speaker premium audio systems, NASCAR race cars are engineered with a stark contrast. They lack side-view mirrors, air conditioning, and even horns.
Moreover, NASCAR strictly regulates distractions, prohibiting drivers from listening to personal music devices during races. The rule is in place not only to ensure drivers maintain focus but also for their own safety and to protect the well-being of the more than 39 other competitors sharing the track.
Thus, the absence of music isn’t just a matter of personal focus; it’s a critical safety measure for everyone involved in the sport.
Brad Keselowski expressed his views on the possibility of listening to music while racing on a NASCAR track
During a 2015 interview with esteemed NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck, Keselowski recalled a testing session at Daytona with JR Motorsports, where Dale Earnhardt Jr. introduced him to specialized earplugs.
Keselowski entertained the idea briefly, musing, “I remember when I was testing at Daytona when I’d first gotten the ride with JR Motorsports and Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. had the earplugs for all that. I thought, ‘Oh, that might be a good idea.’ And I was like this close.”
However, he quickly reconsidered, considering the impact on his team’s morale, “What would my team guys think if I was listening to music in the car because I was bored?” Ultimately, he decided against it, reflecting, “It felt like that would be really de-motivating to them and they’d feel like I didn’t care. So I’d feel too guilty.”
However, it would be fascinating to know the perspectives of the new generation of Gen-Z drivers on integrating music into their racing experience.
