Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Fans see red but want green flags at end of races

Tuesday, July 9, 2002 | 10:28 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

It is obvious that NASCAR fans aren't the only ones perplexed by the sanctioning body's policy -- or lack thereof -- when it comes to displaying the red flag in late-race caution periods.

At the end of Saturday night's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, some fans in the backstretch grandstands showered the track with debris when NASCAR refused to throw a red flag to ensure the race would end with a green-flag finish.

Instead, the race ended under caution, with Michael Waltrip cruising around the 2.5-mile superspeedway after an accident with three laps to go brought out the yellow flag.

The fans' wrath was brought about by NASCAR's inconsistent policy regarding red flags. At the season-opening Daytona 500, the series red-flagged the race after a multi-car accident with seven laps to go. The race was restarted after the track was cleared and Ward Burton went on to win under the green.

A week later, at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, N.C., NASCAR opted to let the race end under caution despite circumstances almost identical to those at Daytona. Last month at Michigan Speedway, NASCAR red-flagged the race with six laps to go and set up a three-lap shootout to the finish.

Four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon said he understood the fans' frustration over NASCAR's inconsistency.

"I don't understand the consistency of it," Gordon said. "But I agree that (you) don't restart (that race); you've got enough mayhem going on out there. You don't need to cause more and I'm guessing that is (NASCAR's) reason because it certainly isn't consistent.

"Every other time that there have been three laps to go (and there has been a wreck), they've thrown a red flag. That's my only question: When is it going to be thrown and when is it not going to be thrown?"

The simple solution would be for NASCAR to adopt a green-white-checkered finish (two-lap shootout) in the Winston Cup Series -- as it has done in the Craftsman Truck Series -- if a late-race caution prevents a green-flag finish. But not every driver is in favor of such a policy.

"A lot of the series have started going to the green-white-checkered (finish)," Bobby Labonte said before this year's Winston Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "I don't say that I approve that; I don't really like that a lot of times ... but at least if it was a consistent deal, it would be better. It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong; just make one decision."

Busch was given a one-lap penalty after he ran into the stop paddle at the end of pit road while exiting the pits after an early race stop. Busch reportedly launched into a tirade over his radio -- which is monitored by NASCAR -- and was given a three-lap penalty for "unsportsmanlike conduct on the radio."

"(Busch) was very unsportsmanlike in his communications directed toward the NASCAR officials," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter told the Charlotte Observer. "We've always said it was better to impose a penalty on the track during the event and recently we said there were other ways (to penalize drivers) other than money. I think you saw a great example of that (Saturday night)."

Busch issued an apology Monday that read, in part, "I let my temper get the best of me the other night and the way I handled it was not in any way appropriate and for that I'm truly sorry."

It was the second time this season that Busch's comments have gotten him in trouble with NASCAR. He was fined $10,000 after The Winston in May for suggesting that he intentionally wrecked Robby Gordon in order to bring out a caution period late in the all-star race.

Benson did not aggravate the broken and cracked ribs he suffered in a Busch Series accident at Richmond on May 3. Benson's status for Sunday's race will be determined this week by his doctor and the Valvoline Racing team.

After a disastrous 2001 season, Petty has compiled 14 consecutive top-25 finishes this year and is 18th in the Winston Cup points standings.