I am still gleaming over Dale Earnhardt Junior's victory Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.
I've been reading a lot about the controversy over Junior's victory. Some even think that there are "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Rules." There have been so many times that NASCAR has "massaged the rules" but not always for an Earnhardt.
Let's take a walk down memory lane here... total opposite of Sunday's situation.
Remember Greg Biffle's victory at Kansas in September last year? He won the race, only he crossed the finish line fourth. He clearly ran out of gas. He did not maintain pace-car speed. It was absolutely clear that he couldn't. NASCAR gave him the victory anyway.
See below:
I don't think in this instance there were any articles called "The Greg Biffle Rules." Until NASCAR can be consistent, people just have to buck up and accept the outcome of the race.
And honestly, do you really think they would suddenly start being consistent and "follow the rule book" during a race where NASCAR's most popular driver was heading toward his first victory in 76 races? Come on! All hell would have broken loose at the track. Fans would have been uncontrollable.
Maybe NASCAR hasn't been consistent. But the fact is that this year Junior has. Of the 15 completed races, he has finished 11 times in the top 10. Of those 11, four of them were top fives. And now a win...finally. You knew it would happen sooner or later.
I have read the controversial reasons why folks feel JR shouldn't have won. The main reason is: he passed the pace car, which I thought was unusual, but who am I to judge. I think this was an infringement. So, where do we go from here?? Biffle came in fourth because he ran out of gas and he was declared the winner?????????? Come on. I guess we really need to play by the rules. No???? Let me know how you feel.
1-Don't pass the pace car. (Nascar will warn a driver not to do this before they penalize. Junior was warned and stop passing.)
2 Don't go below the line to pass unless you are forced down. (Jr. didn't pass.)
3 Must maintain a reasonable speed to the finish line. ( Whatever reasonable speed means, it does appear as if Jr was running well enough to cover that rule.)
Watching a rerun of the end of the race, Petty (I believe) announced that Jr was out of gas. How did he know? Junior did not come on the radio and say he had run out until after he was well past the finish line. Unless I read or hear otherwise directly from Dale, Jr or Tony, Jr, I believe the car was still running at the finish line.
I believe Jr should have gotten sent to the back (if he didn't cross the line first, he wouldn't have won.) But, now that the victory has been awarded, it's a done deal. The most they CAN do is dock points. And NASCAR should. Or the next one who is told to stay behind the pace car WILL invoke 'Jr Rules' to avoid the penalty.
Still, Jr won. Now we can go to the next crisis in this soap opera... Is Tony gonna divorce JGR? Will Kyle get a nose job from Dr. Hornaday? The Wheel Turns!
Well said, MiK. It's over, Jr won. What is Nascar without the drama?
Word is Tony will be leaving JGR.
Kyle is giving up the 3 race weekends to concentrate on Cup so Hornaday may have to wait.
I have an issue that I'd like to bring up. DEI is having a huge marketing blitz with the #3 and Dale Sr merchandise. Seems like they are trying to collect revenues they lost when Jr left. There is so much new stuff, I'm starting to find it a bit offensive.
Jennifer is the newsroom
administrative assistant and
executive
assistant to the editor for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. She is married, lives in Pownal with her husband and son, and has been following NASCAR for many years.
About this blog:
I am hopeful that this will be a place where people can air their two cents' worth about a race, catch up on the gossip and share their opinions on the rules and regulations of NASCAR. I have always felt that there has been a need for such a place in Maine and that this blog helps to fill the void.
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