NASCAR To Penalize Drivers For Playing Within The Rules

As Brad Keselowski said in a post race interview of the NASCAR Talladega race last weekend,

"I was not going to allow myself to be in that same spot as Regan was last year and I just held my ground. I was here to win … and put these guys (his team) in victory lane. … I'm sorry it caused a wreck and sorry for those that are hurt. But that's just the situation with the rules and the way it is"

Yet drivers under stand the rule, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in the same post race set of press interviews:

"I kind of like the yellow line rule.  I think that the drivers have begun to understand what it means.  I think that you can't necessarily blame what happened at the finish of the race on the yellow line rule.  Guys have been running over each other for years.  So I mean, guys get into each other way before we had yellow line rules."

But now NASCAR is considering enforcing penalties on excessive blocking or aggressive type driving?  You have got to be kidding me?

A:  First NASCAR enforces a rule saying you can't go below the yellow line at plate races.  Fair enough.

B:  Drivers have the chance to not get penalized if they do cross the line.  Fair enough.

C:  Some drivers have been penalized for not self-enforcing the "out" of the rule of furthering their position.  Fair enough.

D:  Jr. once got a position from going below the line.  They made an exception due to circumstances.  Fair enough?  Curious actually.

E:  Last year we watched Regan Smith get forced below the yellow line on the last lap and not back off on his momentum.  He got penalized for that severely.  Fair?  No.  Consistent rule enforcement?  I don't know.  See "D".  But Regan bowed to the yellow line beast because he was concerned about wrecking Stewart, who, it seemed, did intentionally mean to block Smith.  (But that's another story altogether.)

F:  The message was clearly sent by NASCAR, as Smith noted last year.  Don't go below the yellow line.  Which was implied, and never really denied by NASCAR that if that's the case, you need to go for the win, then obviously someone is going to get hurt because someone will get wrecked.  NASCAR was put on notice.  (How's that working for you NASCAR?)

G: Brad Keselowski, per Carl Edwards, did everything right.  He defended his position, he had the momentum, and Carl didn't see that.  Brad wanted his win, and of course, Regan Smith was on his mind.  Carl came down on Brad and Brad held his ground.

By NASCAR's very own rules and their enforcement of the rules on previous efforts, there's question as to who gets leniency and who doesn't.  The question or fact remains that NASCAR's rules forced the situation that happened last weekend.

Now, they are reportedly looking to come down on aggressive driving / blocking in these races?  Are you EFFING kidding me?  Why don't we just put the drivers in solar powered soap box derby cars and keep the speeds to about 40 mph?  How'd that work for you NASCAR?

No, instead, NASCAR should actually put into affect the "Last Lap, Anything Goes" rule.  Remember how all the drivers were under the assumption that anything goes on the last lap due to a statement made by a Truck Series official?  I think they need to bring back the exception that NASCAR denied that they had.

This last lap, or last 1/2 lap exception would not hurt anyone.  The yellow line rule is in affect to keep people from being on the apron doing 200 mph where cars can't hold their line.  When they're down there and lose their line, they can cause a wreck.  Fair enough.  But once everyone has passed the start / finish line at the checkers, they back off and slow down.  The speeds aren't there and they aren't packed up tightly.  It's at this time that the apron would not be the danger it normally presents during the race.

So let them have their free-for-all in that last 1/2 to 1/4 lap NASCAR.  You would then still have fantastic racing and fantastic finishes, allowing the drivers do what they do best -  race to the line.  Put the intensity back in the finishes NASCAR.  You owe us that after creating the situation that occured last weekend with your yellow line rule.