NASCAR's John Darby may be promoted...and the sport may be looking for a new Sprint Cup tour director

  NASCAR's John Darby, nearly 10 years now as Cup series director, may be getting a promotion for 2011. But who will now run sport's top tour? NASCAR may promote from within, for a seamless transition. (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
  

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   CONCORD, N.C.
   With the NASCAR season-opening Daytona 500 just a few weeks away, it looks like there may be a major change in command looming in the Sprint Cup garage.
    John Darby, the Cup series director for nearly 10 years now, may be moving to a new position, in 2011, as head of all three NASCAR touring series, Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Trucks, as sort a super-boss, under NASCAR president Mike Helton, according to sources who have been hearing about such a move for at least a week.
    The move would be seen as a promotion for Darby, giving him more authority. During the upcoming season Darby would be training a new man to run the Cup garage, though apparently that man has yet to be picked.
    Moving Darby up the ladder would not necessarily be unexpected, since he has been fairly solid as Cup boss, and as Helton has had his own roles in the sport expanded.
    The Cup job itself is as the point-man in the garage. It was held by Gary Nelson before Darby took over.
    The Darby move would follow several weeks of talks by NASCAR executives Brian France and Helton with Cup team owners, one-on-ones. There are a number of possible rules changes under consideration for the upcoming season.

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