Race Team Alliance says communication with NASCAR going well

Rob Kauffman, chairman of the Race Team Alliance that became a source of intrigue and speculation after it was announced roughly a year ago, said he wants the collaboration of NASCAR owners to continue working behind the scenes as a spur for growth for the entire industry.

"We've put a lot of effort into being productive. We want the conversation and the media to be around the sport and the racing, not so much the business side," Kauffman told USA TODAY Sports.

"We use the analogy of the plumbing in the walls. We run the plumbing and make sure the hot and cold water works. That's more our side of it. The conversation needs to be more the Chase and the race for the Chase and what goes on around the track and how it relates to racing. The business stuff I think is more secondary to the fans." Kauffman, co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing said his dealings with NASCAR, which from its inception managed an independent contractor model with labor, have "gone very well so far."

Almost a year after the RTA's inception, Sprint Cup drivers formed their own council as a platform to communicate with the racing series. "I think hopefully what we've been able to create across the whole spectrum is an increased level of communication," Kauffman said. "Everyone is in it together. So I think the driver council is one indication. There's a manufacturers council as well and then you have the teams together. Running a business sensibly requires communication and that's how this is working so far." USA Today