When yellow comes out for rain, video not on NASCAR's radar
FONTANA, Calif. – Jeff Gordon told his team last week after the Daytona 500 that he believed he could have been scored 12th instead of 13th in that NASCAR Sprint Cup race, depending on the interpretation of NASCAR rules and policies.
The final verdict: He was 13th.
Here's why Gordon was confused: When the caution comes out during a race, the field is frozen and reset to the previous scoring line. Depending on the track, there are a dozen or so scoring lines spread throughout the oval. But NASCAR policy is that on the last lap, it uses video in addition to the scoring lines to determine the final position. Gordon believed he had passed David Reutimann after passing the scoring line, but before the caution came out for rain in the Daytona 500. NASCAR later called the race because of rain.
Gordon crew chief Steve Letarte discussed the situation with NASCAR officials after the race to learn about the interpretation, which was that NASCAR will only use video on the final scheduled lap or green-white-checkered situation.
“We use the [non-video freezing] of the field because we didn’t know that we weren’t going to go back [racing],” NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Friday at Auto Club Speedway.
But what would have happened if there was a pass for the lead between the scoring line and the time the caution light came on? Would NASCAR use video to determine the winner even if it's not the last scheduled lap?
Pemberton wouldn’t say for sure but talked about the 2004 call at Talladega when Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed Gordon between the scoring line and the time the caution light came on with four laps remaining. Gordon was placed back ahead of Earnhardt Jr. and the race ended up under caution with Gordon winning.
“They put Jeff Gordon back in front of Dale Jr.,” Pemberton said. “That was before we had green-white-checkered [finishes]. That was a freeze the field. I’ll just leave you with that thought.”
Letarte said he had no problem in being scored 13th, he just wanted a clarification of the rule.
"I had no problem where we finished – I just wanted to understand the rule for my own benefit," Letarte said. "It makes perfect sense."
