The Pesky Yellow Line Business Makes The Rules Tight in Turn 2

Boy, am I really tight in turn two this week, and I thought I could just share my angst with Charlie Turner of On Pit Row and see if he could inject some sanity in my following tirade!!!

NASCAR: Not Always So
Consistent Around Raceday.

Last weekend we saw a couple of confusing rule interpretations occur in the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega and I'm not talking about the "Big Ones" either. I'm talking about how rules are applied to the sport and how they get created, rescinded or conflicted on the fly.

Does anyone remember the comic strip Calvin and Hobbs? They'd play a game called Calvin-Ball. The problem for Hobbs was that Calvin would make up rules while the ball was in play. This took me back to those days initially and I thought we were looking at Calvin-CAR!!

What added to my mystification was an unusual display of trying to dodge one of the hottest topics to come out of NASCAR that threatens trumping the Chase for the Cup, there seems to be a distinct effort by some media to move on from this event. At least that's what I took away from SIRIUS Satellite last Wednesday morning.

They were telling the listeners that tomorrow they will not entertain your calls if you ask about the yellow line. In the afternoon they were calling it the Bank of America week, pushing the subject to move on to the upcoming weekend. Which is weird because when things like Dale Earnhardt Jr left DEI, no one could shut up about it, but when fans want to vent about this, it's shut up, we're moving on.

When callers hit the airwaves with their questions, one of the personalities was acting more like Tom Leykis and rather than answer the question, fired a question back based on their question, and then faulting them for not answering his question. And it happened on a few calls. It was rather disappointing and I was a bit dismayed at his constant and skillful dodging of answering any question that was gray in nature!

And yet so many people feel ripped off that Regan Smith didn't get the win in the AMP Energy 500 that it's overly compelling to revisit this one scenario, but not in the way you think.

* The biggest point that's been overlooked: A yellow flag should have flown before the checkers. There was a multi-car spin in the back stretch that should have ended the race there, in the backstretch.
* Smith out-faked Stewart superbly coming to the line, forcing the No 20 Toyota to the outside.
* Smith got the line under Stewart
* Stewart did hit the RF of Smith. It wasn't a block at all from where I was sitting. It was a force and if there was a wall there, they and others behind them would have crashed.
* With Smith being forced off the line, he ducked to keep from wrecking or getting wrecked but maintained his momentum.

Right after that, fans and media everywhere were quoting "NASCAR"'s take on the issue.

• "The last lap is a free-for-all",
• "if you can see the checkers anything goes",
• "if you can see the flag stand, it's whatever you can get",

These perspectives stemmed from the Johnny Benson Truck series incident back in February of 2007. And yet they seem to have contradicted not only those statements, but ignored a fleeting moment last year when Dale Earnhardt Jr had gotten forced below the line and was allowed to keep going.

So Jr can get forced below the line, it's OK. A non-name driver can go below the line, it's not OK.
A name driver can force a driver below the line, it's OK, but if reversed?

But none of this makes for exciting television, or racing. Hell, at least the last lap drowned out the pain from the ESPN coverage.

So where am I going with this? What the heck am I actually asking?:

Should NASCAR take the winter off to actually create / print out a rule book for everyone involved?

In all fairness, they've more or less always said that going below the yellow line at Talladega or Daytona and advancing your position is a no-no. With an exception or two, as noted.

When I look for big league sport rules, I can find them in a flash. NBA, NFL, NHL all have the rules right on the web for all to see. Here at work, I'm surrounded by F1 and ALMS (American LeMans Series) fans and it seems that what we are experiencing is not unique to NASCAR at all, but would seem to be a function of Auto Racing in general.

In fact web searches do not turn up any rulebook for some of the auto racing leagues we see on TV.

In fact my office neighbors have touted similar incidents where F1 drivers or what not have created a stir and rules about not leaving the racing surface had to be enacted. Hence, this is really an affect of the medium, not the organization. So what we're seeing here, is something we shouldn't be actually blaming on NASCAR itself.

Sure, NASCAR has their hands full, and sure, they need to be A LOT more consistent. I feel they need to lead the field of auto racing and try to compile a rulebook for us to reference WITH them as they make their calls. Yes, they seem to quote one, but they are very secretive about this "rule" book and we never see it.

For me, right now, their obvious inconsistencies and neglect of previous calls where even the person who said "If you can see the checkers, anything goes", won't comment on his comment has taken the wind out of my NASCAR sails for the moment!

NASCAR needs consistency, needs rules they will actually follow regardless of whom may be breaking or applying them, and let us in on it. They also need to rescind this weeks' stance that the yellow line rule applies to all laps. It should be lifted in the last 1/2 lap of these races so we can see real, god for-saken racing to the finish. That's what they want, right? Let's give it to the viewer!

Oh, now that I'm done ranting, in a word to my own question: Yes.

Other sports rules links:
NBA
NFL
NHL

Charlie? Can you please inject some sanity in my rant?

Charlie: I had to go back aways to find the actual question, but your arguement is compelling Bruce. I just don't think it is the nature of auto racing ingeneral and NASCAR in particular to do what you suggest.

I have always felt that NASCAR likes having some control in their rulings. Not that they want to necessarily manufacture finishes. But black and white is black and white, you know? There's no room for cutting the sport's most popular driver any slack. The France family has been the ultimate promoter of auto racing. They've built a fantastic, ultra popula, money machine. It ain't all skill and it ain't all luck either. They play the controversy/publicity cards as well as anyone ever has. I have to admit, I kind of like it this way.

~~~

Over on his site, Charlie asks
Talladega reared it’s wild-card head again Sunday. It was entertaining but is the chancy nature of the plate-race big-ones just too random for ‘Dega to be included in the Chase?

Go on over and check it out: On Pit Row

NASCAR Statement on That Pesky Yellow Line Thing

This is the text from a handout everyone gets at the drivers meetings at Daytona and Talladega:

The verbatim language is ...

This is your warning: race above the yellow line. If, in NASCAR's judgment, you go below the yellow line to improve your position, you will be black-flagged. If in NASCAR's judgment you force someone below the yellow line (in an effort to stop him from passing you), you may be black-flagged.

It is also of NASCAR's opinion that Smith was not forced below the yellow line... crickets...

Helton also clarified that from this moment forward, below the yellow line and improving one's position is taboo. Hear that gang? This years ruling says that's a no-no.

Here's a recap of the last half lap, sans the wreck that happened just before the controversy that 's going to haunt NASCAR for a few days.

Final Laps: Stewart awarded win

With that in mind, it would appear that NASCAR has indeed turned a blind eye towards Tony Stewart's move that really appears to me to force Smith below the line.

Shouldn't that move him to the back of the lead lap also? Sigh. Old school still runs the game, and it's their game, so as it is, Tony Stewart finally gets the win gang.

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Discontinuity: NASCAR Needs To Make and Follow Their Own Rules

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:

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?

Not sure. But a note to Regan Smith, to others that were in that same boat in the past (Hello Jr.) or for those drivers who will possibly find yourselves in that situation in the future:

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.

• Related Links
• Augusta Chronicle

UPDATE (10/11/08):

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.

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