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StumblePublished Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008 | 10:08 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008 | 10:15 a.m.
Tony Stewart ended his 43-race winless streak and got his first Talladega Sprint Cup victory after battling with Regan Smith for the win. NASCAR denied Smith, who crossed the finish line first, the win because he drove below the yellow line to advance his position on the last lap. While there are legitimate reasons for the yellow-line rule, it should be thrown out the window on the last lap. Let the first car that crosses the finish line be the winner.
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Controversial finish
I found myself reaching for the blood pressure medication as the wreck-filled, tire-popping race progressed. Imagine the anxiety level of the spotters. You can usually count on one “Big One” when NASCAR comes to this track, but this race had two. An impatient Carl Edwards, who was bump drafting Greg Biffle in a turn, initiated the last and worst of the two wrecks. 12 cars were involved including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. Why Carl would do this, especially after the drivers had been warned in the drivers’ meeting not to bump draft in the turns, is a mystery. Maybe the COT’s equal bumper heights make the drivers feel too confident about their bump drafting abilities. Dale Earnhardt alluded to this after he was caught up in Carl’s mayhem by suggesting that bump drafting is an art form that few can perform correctly. Watching this carnage is heart-stopping, but is it good racing?
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The Big One
Racing at Talladega has a lot to do with the drivers’ strategy on the track. But after watching this race, I wonder if strategy matters. If a driver runs in the back, he can easily get collected in the “Big One” as it unfolds before him. If he drives in the front, he can be the victim of an exploding Goodyear, as we saw when Brian Vickers had a tire explode in front of the field. And, of course, riding in the middle is like being the meat in a wreck sandwich. Biffle and Edwards took a page from Dale Jarrett’s old playbook and rode around in the back most of the race only to end up in the wall because of Carl’s aggressive bump drafting.
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The exploding tire issue left everyone scratching their heads and offering many different theories as to why the tires performed so poorly. The best explanation I heard was that close racing had resulted in a lot of bent fenders rubbing on the tires. I wouldn’t be surprised to see new rules on the tolerances between the fenders and the tires before the next Talladega race. Four drivers suffered tire problems on Sunday, including Denny Hamlin, who was sent to the hospital for observation after his tire woes caused him to hit the wall.
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One of the best moves of the race came on lap 75 when Juan Pablo Montoya was run off the track by the No. 6 car. Juan made a great recovery, avoided a spin and drove as if he didn’t lift the off the gas for one second.
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Carl Edwards is now 72 points behind Jimmie Johnson. Greg Biffle is 77 points behind Johnson.
Now it’s on to the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Gee, I wonder who’s the favorite to win there?
What a B****IT ruling by Nascar officials. Tony forced Smith down below the yellow line. Had Smith not driven down there he would have turned Stewart, who would have been whinning more than he usually does.
Go 24!!
I think you said it better than I did.
What do you mean? that rule has been there for a long time. I'm sure you, like Smith think that there are no rules on the last lap. HA!!!
Good win for Tony!
Regan Smith pulled a stupid move and was forced below the line by his own dumb actions. Just because you get a bumper beside the car in front of you by jamming yourself between that car and the yellow line, that means the guy in front has got to give? What's that all about? The rules are the rules, and until they are changed.....tough! What's next for you guys, taking a shortcut down pit road? And who's whining now, NativeNevadian?
Juan was great in that little move, right back in line just where he was.
The best part of yesterday was everyone's darling from last week, you know, the guy who pulled a gutsy but hopeless move on the 48 in the last corner of the race, getting back to normal. The worst part of yesterday was the 'idiot'(his own word), took out half the field at the same time.
Go 20!
Please tell me you didn't just suggest that NASCAR should suspend a rule JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE LAST LAP. What's up with that?
You guys all give NASCAR grief because they seem to change the rules as they see fit. Then they stick with a rule (as they should) and you guys start crying? Unbelieveable.
Everyone has an opinion about what the rules are, yet, who among us have a valid copy of the rules? Why isn't this stuff online where the fans (and heaven forbid the teams or worse yet the officials) can refer to it? Are they afraid that us 'redneck Na$car fans' are too dumb to read? Why aren't the instructions given to drivers in pre-race meetings immediately posted on YouTube? What are the Na$car brass afraid of? That they'll lose control of the 'x-factor' (their ability to determine the outcome of the race through bad calls, no-calls and flexible rules interpretations)?
Maybe I wasn't entirely clear in my original post. I'm not advocating that NASCAR practice inconsistency when it comes enforcing the yellow-line rule. I am advocating that NASCAR change the rule to allow for unrestricted racing on the last lap.
To "suspend" a rule during a particular race just because it's the last lap isn't something I would advocate either.
I agree with rocket_car that the rule book should be public. What is NASCAR afraid of?
My last word. If the yellow line had been a wall, or grass, or another car for that matter, Smith, nor any other driver, would have even thought of pulling off that move. Just because it's asphalt doesn't change a thing. That's it!