Black Flagging Rule Infractions - By The Book Or Not?

Last weekend we had a fascinating rule infraction that has the world of NASCAR fans fired up and bringing the discussion to the table at websites and radio stations.

First, generically speaking, the rule says that on restarts the 2nd place car cannot pass the leader of the race until he's passed a specified spot on the track designated as the "go" spot.  Unless the leader has obvious problems.

If the rule is broken, then the perpetrator must give the position back or be black flagged.

The situation:  During a race restart, Elliot Sadler was pushed by Austin Dillon and before the designated "go" spot, both Sadler and Dillon had passed the leader of the race.  Sadler never returned the position and he was subsequently black flagged.  Dillon, though he too was beyond the leader's car on the restart, was not flagged.

To the letter of the law, NASCAR black flagged Sadler.

End story.  Or is it?

I have heard so many different aspects on this scenario and for once, many of them are valid takes.  Why didn't NASCAR wave off the start?  Did NASCAR tel them to back off or else?  Why wasn't Dillon flagged too?  He was the third place car and he too was in front of the lead car at the spot.

And NASCAR has to stick to the rules they have in place.  It's as simple as that.  If they were to be flighty and make judgement calls every time something questionable happened, would, without a shadow of a doubt, put their enforcement of their own rules in question.

They HAVE to adhere to what they've put out in front of the drivers.  And learn from this.  Unfortunately, Elliot Sadler is the victim of this situation. And yes, it's horrid luck to be the recipient of this situation, at no fault of his own.

In other news, poor Austin Dillon is getting some weird luck these days, from infractions to a few on-track oops.  I can't imagine how he feels.

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