Gotta Give Em Credit

[yoda]

2/100 of a second finish. Young gun verses veteran at the stripe. Cars on their roofs on fire. Slammin and bangin. A come from nowhere win... And national news controversy all week long..

Gotta give it to those NASCAR guys- whata way to start a season- they sure know how to get the press's attention. And I'm NOT a fan. Today's finish is gonna be on every national news network for the next 48 hours, guaranteed.

 

[Nate]

Yep pretty exciting........its just a shame Mark Martin didnt get it. They let them race to the line this time instead of following the rules they set about throwing on the caution lights and letting the last scoring loop set the running order. If NASCAR would have done that it would have been Martins race. Exciting race none the less.

 

[Jim]

That was a hell of a run by Harvick but the caution should have been thrown and Martin given the win. If NASCAR has any balls they will reverse the decision. I mean guy were sideways. It is not just Martin either. How about guys who were running say 12th and got caught up in the wreck and finished 30th or worse. If NASCAR had played by their own rules the field would have been frozen when they started wrecking. Sure the guys would have had a torn up race car but at least had a better finish that they deserved. The whole point of throwing the caution and not racing back to the line of for safety. I am sure the response time for Clint Boyer would have been a lot quicker too. Thankfully he was not seriously injured.

 

[The Counterfeiter]

Judging by the response on Wind Tunnel tonight, there are LOT of really pissed off NASCAR fans out there. Interestingly, DeSpain had video that showed Harvick AHEAD of Martin when the wreck started!
Whatever happened, the caution should have been activated immediately.
If Clint had stayed upside down, the outcome could have been far worse.
Since no one was injured, it's kind of funny to watch the "Big Boys" step on their D$$$$ for an entire week -
I really like the idea that our Safety Safari guys and girls don't have to wait for a yellow light or permission . . . they just roll those big trucks -

 

[Ted]

It's kinda funny, Mark Martin hates restrictor plate racing but those are the best ones to watch. (plus Bristol)

 

[Jim]

I understand that it takes time to react to throw the yellow but this picture says a lot.

http://i.a.cnn.net/nascar/2007/news/opinion/02/18/mmartin.daytona/Caraviello.T1.jpg

The NASCAR board are fired up too. Probably 25 to 1 that Martin was the winner, and lots of Harvick fans claiming Mark should have won. To me that says a lot when fans on one driver say that the other guy should get the win.

 

[vegasnitro]

I think NASCAR did not throw the caution and let them race back to the stripe just so Mark could win. If you look at the moment the wreck started happening, Harvick was ahead, backed up by the video on Wind Tunnel, I think NASCAR held off on the caution because alll of the wrecking was behind Harvick and Martin, and they wanted to give Mark every shot to get to the stripe. Harvick held on, well done to him and his crew. Well done to Mark too, not bad for a "retired" guy.

The real interesting thing is going to be what happens next time the caution comes out on the last lap. NASCAR set a precedent yesterday, one that is contrary to their own rules.

 

[Boo]

I think what Dave Despain showed was the very begining of the wreck where the car that lost control was begining to fishtail. I don't think the yellow should have been thrown at the point there are lots of times where they recover easily froim that. It was right after that when the wreck started that the yellow should have been thrown. I think Mark had retaken the lead by then....Either way It was a great finish to the race!

 

[TJ]

The caution should never have been thrown up...Those two cars were going for the stripe and the finish...No more laps...A great final lap that is a prime example of why they (NASCAR) are regarded as the best in motorsports....

 

[Too many to list here]

Yep pretty exciting........its just a shame Mark Martin didnt get it. They let them race to the line this time instead of following the rules they set about throwing on the caution lights and letting the last scoring loop set the running order. If NASCAR would have done that it would have been Martins race. Exciting race none the less.

That about sums it up!!

 

[Bullard Anderson]

If anyone thinks that a driver should claim $1.8 million, by NASCAR looking at the monitors and going back to the scoring loops, in the BIGGEST race in the series, and not racing to the checkered flag, YOUR freakin' crazy. Are all these people claiming to be racing fans RACERS or WHINERS. NASCAR finally got one right. When you invest 7 hours in front of the TV or $150 for a race ticket, you DESERVE to see a checkered flag finish. Race back to the line I say on the last lap. They got it right.

 

[mick]

sure see a lot of crash/yellow flag/restarts within the last five laps
within the last few years - almost as if it's encouraged so as to give
the biggest lineup with fewest laps 'dash for cash'.
I didn't watch that closely, but i wonder if Harvick would have been
in position to win had it not been for last caution?
They should call it the 'Daytona 480 + 10 laps'

 

[Bullard Anderson]

I don't see much difference in a Caution Flag Finish and a Final Round Bye Run. Luckily one was avoided at Daytona!

 

[Boo]

I saw on ESPN that NASCAR said they did throw the yellow on after the wreck, and Harvick was ahead so it was a moot point at the finish line.

 

[yoda]

...Those two cars were going for the stripe and the finish...No more laps...A great final lap that is a prime example of why they (NASCAR) are regarded as the best in motorsports....

Uhh, isn't that DRAG RACING on EVERY race??

 

[Jim]

At least in drag racing we don't have to worry about a yellow being thrown and trying to figure out who was ahead at a certain point. Our races always go to the end and we have the clocks to tell us excatly who won. They never lie

 

[Bullard Anderson]

At least in drag racing we don't have to worry about a yellow being thrown and trying to figure out who was ahead at a certain point. Our races always go to the end and we have the clocks to tell us excatly who won. They never lie

Yeah...what he said....SIGNED, A Pro Stock Bike Guy