Observation and Opinion by Bruce E. Simmons :
First off: A big congratulations to Regan Smith for "crossing the finish line first". Good job getting past Tony Stewart after being forced down under the line and by NOT actually causing another wreck on that final lap because one multi-car wreck in a single lap is sufficient enough for me!
~
With that said, In Professional Bowling there are written rules. Black and white. In football, there are rules. In baseball, there are rules. The only gray areas are when the the ruling judge / ref or ump has to make a judgment call using his eyeballs, in regards to one of those rules. Then the fun starts.
NASCAR is not Ice Skating where winning depends on a judges opinion of you or where you sit in their eyes in the political scheme of things, or is it?
Sundays Amp Energy 500 at Talladega definitely brought to light the issues of a rule book and how it's interpreted, in a consistent lack of unconformity. Plain and simple. At least to me, it seems that way.
The Last Lap, Backstretch Wreck:
Down the backstretch, there's a multi-car wreck but no yellow flag.
Are there rules for when a yellow can and cannot fly? I get the "common sense" of not throwing the yellow, but were there any cars behind that wreck that needed the yellow to fly? Not sure.
Technically, whoever was in the lead then, should be marked the winner and all cars placed where they were recorded then. Deal done... but then, that wasn't exciting for television now, was it?
The Last Lap, Tri-Oval Dancing:
Tony Stewart is in the lead. Regan Smith feints right, Stewart bites and blocks. Smith then goes low and Stewart reacts by coming back down on him. In the replay, Stewart's LR quarter panel is hitting Smith's RF fender. Smith goes low to avoid a wreck, holding his momentum and passing Stewart. Smith crosses the line first.
Instantly, Stewart is on the radio saying Smith went below the yellow line.
Of course he did Tony. You put him there. For an instant, I started to wonder if NASCAR was going to uphold a statement they've made in the past that is reflected in The Augusta Chronicle from February of 2007 about a similar incident:
Drive through that quarter panel and don't go below the yellow line because that is more exciting for television. Who cares about the wreck, at least from up yonder in the NASCAR booth who can't seem to recognize your concern for causing another wreck.
Kenny Wallace Said It Best
Paraphrased:
That's the bottom line folks. NASCAR deemed it so from that mysterious rule book of theirs. Earlier this year, I almost had my hands on that rule-book, but the chance faded with another's change of mind and the elusive beast that NASCAR controls so tightly never made to me for my dissection of said rules. So I can't help you here.
But from this endeavor, I think I have a new meaning for the sports moniker, NASCAR:
Not Always So Consistent At Raceday.
No wonder they gave the contract to ESPN, but that's for another post.
Heck, even Dale Earnhardt Jr. says the same thing as I do, so I don't feel so bad ranting about this.
He basically said that the rule is clear but what needs explaining is what being forced below the line is. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is of the mind that Smith was forced below the line.
Some folk on the morning program on Sirius Satellite says he wasn't, but it's hard not to ponder what exactly is not being forced. They (the morning personalities) think the cars pretty much have to be side by side to be considered being able to be considered to forced down. NOT!
If you have to dodge to avoid being wrecked, that's being forced folks. Done and period.
And previous precedents say Smith should have been the winner.
Dale Earnhardt Jr indicated that Smith's situation was the same as his when he passed Matt Kenseth for a win in 2003 and the move was allowed.
Eh... like I've said before: It's good to be a name driver.
source
First off: A big congratulations to Regan Smith for "crossing the finish line first". Good job getting past Tony Stewart after being forced down under the line and by NOT actually causing another wreck on that final lap because one multi-car wreck in a single lap is sufficient enough for me!
~
With that said, In Professional Bowling there are written rules. Black and white. In football, there are rules. In baseball, there are rules. The only gray areas are when the the ruling judge / ref or ump has to make a judgment call using his eyeballs, in regards to one of those rules. Then the fun starts.
NASCAR is not Ice Skating where winning depends on a judges opinion of you or where you sit in their eyes in the political scheme of things, or is it?
Sundays Amp Energy 500 at Talladega definitely brought to light the issues of a rule book and how it's interpreted, in a consistent lack of unconformity. Plain and simple. At least to me, it seems that way.
The Last Lap, Backstretch Wreck:
Down the backstretch, there's a multi-car wreck but no yellow flag.
Are there rules for when a yellow can and cannot fly? I get the "common sense" of not throwing the yellow, but were there any cars behind that wreck that needed the yellow to fly? Not sure.
Technically, whoever was in the lead then, should be marked the winner and all cars placed where they were recorded then. Deal done... but then, that wasn't exciting for television now, was it?
The Last Lap, Tri-Oval Dancing:
Tony Stewart is in the lead. Regan Smith feints right, Stewart bites and blocks. Smith then goes low and Stewart reacts by coming back down on him. In the replay, Stewart's LR quarter panel is hitting Smith's RF fender. Smith goes low to avoid a wreck, holding his momentum and passing Stewart. Smith crosses the line first.
Instantly, Stewart is on the radio saying Smith went below the yellow line.
Of course he did Tony. You put him there. For an instant, I started to wonder if NASCAR was going to uphold a statement they've made in the past that is reflected in The Augusta Chronicle from February of 2007 about a similar incident:
OUT OF BOUNDS: Drivers throughout the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series garage were still talking about last week's three-wide finish at Daytona International Speedway.
While they admitted the finish was good for television, most wondered why NASCAR allowed Johnny Benson to drive below the yellow line - Daytona's out of bounds line - to jump from third to second in the final 200 yards.
Benson wasn't penalized because "if you can see the checkered flag on the last lap, anything goes," according to NASCAR spokesman Owen Kearns.
It seems pretty clear cut there. But is this a Truck Series only rule? Is it a "television is exciting" rule? Or was it a name-driver rule or an anti-DEI rule on Sunday?
Drive through that quarter panel and don't go below the yellow line because that is more exciting for television. Who cares about the wreck, at least from up yonder in the NASCAR booth who can't seem to recognize your concern for causing another wreck.
Kenny Wallace Said It Best
Paraphrased:
Regardless of who crossed the line first, NASCAR deemed Tony Stewart the winner. And now I'm going to go interview the winner of the race.
That's the bottom line folks. NASCAR deemed it so from that mysterious rule book of theirs. Earlier this year, I almost had my hands on that rule-book, but the chance faded with another's change of mind and the elusive beast that NASCAR controls so tightly never made to me for my dissection of said rules. So I can't help you here.
But from this endeavor, I think I have a new meaning for the sports moniker, NASCAR:
Not Always So Consistent At Raceday.
No wonder they gave the contract to ESPN, but that's for another post.
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Heck, even Dale Earnhardt Jr. says the same thing as I do, so I don't feel so bad ranting about this.
He basically said that the rule is clear but what needs explaining is what being forced below the line is. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is of the mind that Smith was forced below the line.
Some folk on the morning program on Sirius Satellite says he wasn't, but it's hard not to ponder what exactly is not being forced. They (the morning personalities) think the cars pretty much have to be side by side to be considered being able to be considered to forced down. NOT!
If you have to dodge to avoid being wrecked, that's being forced folks. Done and period.
And previous precedents say Smith should have been the winner.
Dale Earnhardt Jr indicated that Smith's situation was the same as his when he passed Matt Kenseth for a win in 2003 and the move was allowed.
Eh... like I've said before: It's good to be a name driver.
source
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