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Oh by the way, Kevin Harvick won at the finish line

Posted by Kirk Elliott at 11:07:43 AM

We are two days removed from one of the most exciting finishes in NASCAR history, and all some people want to talk about is whether or not the yellow flag should have been thrown before the leaders crossed the start-finish line. These are the same people who complained about races ending under caution, wanting NASCAR to mandate the green-white-checker finish. You can’t have it both ways. If you’re really concerned about safety, green-white-checker finishes at Daytona and Talladega would never have become reality.

If you’re looking for a two-lap shootout on a restrictor plate track, Sunday’s finish is what you’re going to get. It would have been a shock to see a clean run to the line. With a pack of cars two, three, and four-wide, there’s most certainly going to be a crash. Despite the public statements from NASCAR about why the yellow was not thrown earlier, the real explanation is simple. NASCAR officials didn’t want to determine the winner of the sport’s biggest race by using television footage as to what car was ahead when the yellow light comes on, especially since the leaders were this close to the finish line.

Is that line of thinking placing importance of the finish over safety of the drivers? Seems so, but this is NASCAR’s playground, and they have the “discretion” to do what they wish. Bottom line: There was no question who won the race. Had there been a caution four seconds earlier, there might have been a real controversy, and Harvick might have still been declared the winner. NASCAR officials just didn’t feel they were placing any more danger to the drivers by waiting, especially since cars were still spinning from the initial contact well after the yellow was finally thrown. NASCAR’s spinning of this issue has not served them well, and in my opinion tainted Harvick’s deserved victory. They’re better off just telling the truth of why they do what they do.

It’s a judgment call anytime a yellow is put out. No different than a foul called in the final seconds of a basketball game or a penalty flag thrown on the last play of a Football game. It would have been a great story had Mark Martin won, but it’s done and Kevin Harvick won fair and square at the line and under the checkered flag. Isn’t that the way all races should be decided?


 

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