They can....anytime they want to, but it's not all 'sport'. It's a professional 'entertainment industry'. Just like a 'movie' has to have a producer to front money to put a team of technicians behind it in order for it to be made, a driver first needs to get hired by an owner, who believes that he can put together a legal, competitive team and car together for that 'driver'. In order for the owner to do that, the cost of professional racing is so high, that he needs to find sponsors for that car, team and driver.

Right now, NA$CAR and the car manufacturers 'weed out' potential young drivers by putting them through development programs. These programs, include such things as physical training, mental training, media traing, on-track and technical training. THEN car owners decide which of any of these kids they'd like to hire. Does it sound like hockey school?

Participants in developement programs must have a minimum number of years experience and successes and are chosen from all racing disciplines, without bias towards race or gender.

HOWEVER, successful completion does not mean that an owner can hire anyone of these drivers, and 'sell' them to the sponsors and/or the public.

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We're talking about an 'official' here, not an athelete. Officials are direct employees of NASCAR. Just like you may have a human rights violation claim against your employer....I guess, so did she. What I'm saying is, what you see on T.V., isn't what goes on in the garage. You have to have a pretty good sense of humour to be around that many men for days at a time...it ain't pretty.