A NASCAR Cup Series legend has decided to step down from a leadership role in unifying the drivers and their voices as the Drivers’ Advisory Council seeks a different director to lead the pack. The DAC has been quite active since 2022 and has been vocal about the safety and other aspects in the sport. But there seem to be some essential questions lying around this decision.

Drivers, including the likes of William Byron, Kyle Petty, and Joey Logano, form the board of the Drivers’ Advisory Council. They have put their votes in, and the new executive director to take over is ready.

The new DAC executive director is not an ex-driver

Former driver Jeff Burton had been serving as the organization’s executive director since their formal formation in 2022. At 58 years old, however, it is quite apparent that giving a large time commitment can be difficult. Although no official reason has been confirmed so far, he stepped down from the position earlier. Instead, former Daytona track president and NASCAR executive, Chip Wile, will be taking over Burton’s position.

But this seems to be rather ironic. The director of the Drivers’ Advisory Council is not a driver. Because the organization’s main role is to unify the drivers’ voices, it seems a bit unusual that their director, who will be the liaison between the drivers and the sport’s authorities, is not a driver. Does that make sense?

If you really think about it. It does. Wile has been in leadership roles all his life. In fact, he worked with NASCAR up until the end of 2025, so he understandably has better insider knowledge about the sport and its authorities. This could be key in conveying the driver’s message in the best way possible.

Although efforts to unite the drivers had been going on since 2014, it wasn’t until 2022 that the DAC was formed. Since then, however, they have made quite a few important decisions. Safety seems to be the primary issue that the drivers regularly speak about.

They also discussed the issues with the Next Gen cars and the sport made changes in 2023, with some redesigns in the chassis, etc. But there is a lot more that the organization discusses, and there is a possibility that a major change (yet to be introduced) may be impacted by the change in leadership.

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Can DAC fix NASCAR’s playoff system?

The NASCAR Cup Series is preparing for the 2026 season, but with a change in the system it follows. The current playoff system has been criticized owing to the final-race showdown, which does not give all the drivers an equal opportunity. It was earlier revealed that a new system will be put in place for the 2026 season, but it might not be a full 36-race point system that the fans have been expecting.

But with Chip Wile taking the leadership role in the Drivers’ Advisory Council, is it possible for them to interfere in NASCAR’s planning of the new system? The question remains to be answered. Any decision will only be made after the system has been revealed, which is expected later this month.

Although the DAC does have a prominent presence in the sport’s leadership, it is unlikely that they would propose any major changes to the new system that will be introduced later, especially if it benefits the drivers.

Yet, the possibility cannot be undermined. During the 23XI Racing/Front Row Motorsports’ lawsuit against NASCAR, the DAC also put forward the drivers’ demands, which seemed to help the teams’ side of the sport in the ultimate settlement.

As it proves, the DAC does play an integral role when it comes to the sport’s decision-making, if the drivers aren’t in agreement on the same. Having Wile as their director will only help them, even though he isn’t a driver professionally.