NASCAR: Something has to change...

But what ?

Today's race, along with so many other's this year, has ended in controversy.

The fan's in the stands are getting restless.
The rules are colored grey.

It is getting real difficult to enjoy a NASCAR race, when you can almost expect strange calls and actions to continue.

Anybody see the end of the Pocono race? thoughts?

it was another bad week for nascar, the more they tinker with the rules the more confused officials, crew chiefs, drivers, and fans become, they need to find some way to make it black and white and let the drivers settle the race on the track, not in the officials booth

this is from www.nascar .com it is the first time that i can remember that they have posted anything in the least critical of the nascar officials, but this week even they implie it was a mess

Johnson wins confusing, caution-filled Pocono 500
By Dan Gelston, The Associated Press June 13, 2004
6:49 PM EDT (2249 GMT)




LONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- Jimmie Johnson used a near-flawless performance to overcome a NASCAR mistake, drawing closer to the points lead with a win under caution Sunday at Pocono Raceway.


Jimmie Johnson puts his No. 48 Chevrolet out front. Credit; Autostock
Johnson controlled most of the Pocono 500 for his second win in three weeks and third this year. He's led 820 miles in the last three races and has two more seconds in his last five.

Jeremy Mayfield, who has two of his three career victories at Pocono, finished second. He pushed Johnson hard inside and was about a car-length behind when another yellow flag came out with three laps left.

Bobby Labonte, who won the 1999 Pocono 500 and the 1991 and 2001 Pennsylvania 500, was third.

Johnson put aside a disappointing 32nd-place finish last week at Dover, when he was one of the many causalities of a 19-car pileup that led to several caution rules changes for this race.

POCONO
Jimmie Johnson celebrates his ninth career Cup win
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Jeremy Mayfield is pleased with his runner-up finish at Pocono
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Kenseth and Harvick tangle, Johnson wins under caution
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Ryan Newman is angry at Robby Gordon after wrecking
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Wallace hits Waltrip from behind on lap 168
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Wimmer slips on some oil bringing out the fifth caution
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• Unofficial Results

• Unofficial Standings





At Pocono, he was almost a victim of NASCAR's ever-changing, and often confusing, rules.

The pit road official opened the service lane one lap too early during a late caution period. As a result, Johnson, the leader, was unable to pit while most of the cars behind him did. He had to pit later and it cost him the front spot on the restart.

Johnson, though, raced his way back to the front, then built on his lead on several restarts on the 21/2-mile triangular track. He took the lead on lap 174.

"We were just doing what we were told in the drivers meeting," Johnson said. "The first time I came by, the pits were open and it was a mistake by the flag man on pit road. Luckily it cycled itself out, but for a time I was nervous."

After only three cautions in the first 100 laps, there were eight in the last 100. The most notable came when Rusty Wallace hit Michael Waltrip and sent him into the wall. Both drivers were knocked out and Waltrip was furious.

"I am just amazed that somebody could do something that stupid," Waltrip said.

The race ended under caution because Dale Jarrett and Jeff Burton blew engines.

The 11 caution flags equaled the 11 last week at Dover. NASCAR president Mike Helton promised changes and explained several new rules to the drivers at the pre-race meeting. There was still plenty of confusion, both by the drivers and NASCAR officials.


Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers bring the field to the green flag. Credit: Autostock
Only Johnson, Terry Labonte and Jamie McMurray stayed on the track and followed the new rule correctly during the pit confusion.

Eventually, it paid off for Johnson.

Johnson now seems primed to make a serious run at leading the points race after the 26th race.

Series leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. came into the race with an 98-point lead in the standings. Earnhardt finished sixth and saw his lead over Johnson cut to 58.

Johnson is suddenly looking like the old Jeff Gordon, his mentor who co-owns the No. 48 Chevrolet. They also are teammates at Hendrick Motorsports.


Greg Biffle was among the leaders all day, finishing 12th. Credit: Autostock
Johnson's performance at Dover was only his fourth finish out of the top-10 this year. He also won at Darlington and had consecutive second-place finishes leading up to his dominant performance at the Coca Cola 600 in Charlotte.

"The one in Charlotte was pretty good, but this one was right there with it," Johnson said.

Mark Martin, who snapped a 73-race winless streak last week, blew an engine and finished out of the running.

Ryan Newman also challenged Johnson for most of the second half of the race until Robby Gordon got loose and smacked him flush on the left side. Newman's car limped to pit road, his car smoking.

But it's Johnson who's the hottest driver in NASCAR

more foolishness and frustration....

Helton frowns on Harvick-Kenseth shenanigans
By Mark Spoor, Turner Sports Interactive June 13, 2004
8:36 PM EDT (0036 GMT)




LONG POND, Pa. -- You'd think this was Bristol, not Pocono.

A wild scene at the end of Sunday's Pocono 500 left Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth steamed at each other and in the NASCAR hauler for nearly an hour.

















The fracas started just before the final caution of the day flew for blown engines by Dale Jarrett and Jeff Burton. Harvick passed Kenseth coming out of Turn 1, cutting across the nose of Kenseth's car.

Kenseth then used the front of his car to lift Harvick's back wheels off the ground and passed him again as the yellow came out.

While the race was under caution, Harvick spun Kenseth into the infield in Turn 3 on lap 197. Kenseth then returned the favor on the backstretch on the following lap.

After a lengthy meeting between the parties following the race in the NASCAR hauler, it was determined that both Kenseth and Harvick would be scored on the tail end of the lead lap. Thus, Harvick was scored 20th and Kenseth 21st.

Harvick had been scored 11th originally.

NASCAR president Mike Helton said Sunday that the sanctioning body will review the tapes of the incidents and that further penalites will be considered.

"It boils down to a frustration level between the 17 and the 29 that got played out on the racetrack, under caution, and that's something we frown on... greatly," Helton said.


Matt Kenseth had no comment about the incidents immediately after the race. Credit: Autostock
Kenseth bristled past reporters after the meeting, choosing not to comment. Harvick, on the other hand, didn't stay silent.

"I don't know what his deal is," Harvick said of Kenseth. "I raced him clean and cleared him and he got up underneath me and tore my back bumper.

"Then under caution, he brake-checked me and spun himself out. I don't know why he decided to try and wreck me.

"He needs to check his ego because it's getting too big."

Race winner Jimmie Johnson was oblivious to the incident until after his victory.

"When we were at Victory Lane, I heard about the fiasco," he said. "I look forward to seeing it on television."

Well I was watching and the last yellow came out during the '6 to go' lap. They had plenty of time to get it running again.



I think, if they were to take the position roster to the last lap under green, for the yellow, this would answer the questions on freezing the field. The yellow comes out, and everyone lines up for the restart in the order they crossed the finish line in the last lap prior.

Also, if NASCAR were to say, when a yellow comes out within the last 5? laps (10 for super speedways) the minimum laps on the restart will be 5 laps.

Of course the race would be longer then, but surely no longer than having a 40 lap yellow you would think.

Did anyone see that some fan threw and beamed the assistant flagman with their cooler, when they failed to bring out the red at the last caution?



**edit-retracted final statement... **

[Edited on 04/10/03 by smirkley]

It was another strange race. They need to stop with all the multi timing loops around the track, and go back to using the start/finish line. And maybe use 2 people or 1 one person and a set of lights at the begining of pit road. That way you have 2 things showing whether or not the pits are opened. If one flag is green, and the other is red...then don't enter. Both should be green. Or something like that.

And Harvick and Kennseth.....wow. A little touchy ain't they. They are lucky that their games didn't cause a bigger wreck. Hel Kennesth spun Harvick right into traffic.
I was thinking after the race....what are drivers supposed to do now a days. Used too be that if 2 drivers had a problem,the would just get into a fight after the race. But in this day and age,they can no longer do that. See Spencer and Busch. They both got slapped by NASCAR for fighting. So if they won't let em fight off the track,the will take it out on each other on the track.