Regan would have been better off, when Tony started coming down, to send him sailing.

J. - 06 October 2008 07:26 AM

According to TMD, Jenna Fryer found Robin Pemberton to try and get clarification of the rule since one official was being quoted as having said one thing (after the deal last year at Daytona) and Hunter was saying something totally opposite. According to David Poole, Pemberton tried to straddle the two positions by saying that you could pass below the yellow line if you could see the flag stand, but Smith could not see the flag stand and that's why they made the decision they made. Poole said that was a bald faced lie, because Smith passed right in front of them and he could absolutely see the flag stand.

As for Jimmie, I've no doubt that he wants no part of this. What he said on the radio following the race was clear: If the checkers are in view, you can pass below the yellow line. Again, this is/was consistent with previous rulings. It is not hard to see why Tony would defend NASCAR's ruling, but there is no doubt that they have made a judgement call and decided that they'd rather have Tony as their winner than Regan.

I have little doubt that Jimmie was right. If that had been him, and not Regan Smith, he would undoubtedly have been celebrating in VL. If it had been Dale Jr, or Jeff Gordon, or Carl Edwards, or even Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, or Greg Biffle, that move would have stood. It was Regan Smith in an unsponsored car. In NASCAR's mind this decision wasn't hard.

Kinda like when NASCAR brought in Coo Coo Marlin during the Daytona 500 because they thought they missed a lugnut or something? So Richard Petty could win? Yea, sounds like that sort of thing. Didn't want an unknown guy winning a race in the chase. Figures.

Anyone got a transcript of what Juan said when Ragan almost wrecked him?