Lack of transparency in replay unacceptable
NASCAR has an advantage over most other sports: it doesn’t have to stop an event for replay.
Yet, while the NFL, NCAA, NBA, MLB and others will make fans wait to get calls right, NASCAR’s policy on reviews remains fluid.
It seems to be a judgment call.
Let’s make it standard practice.
Sure would’ve helped on Sunday night. If Easter ham rendered you unconscious before the conclusion of Sunday's Richmond race, an overtime restart put Denny Hamlin in the lead, with Martin Truex Jr., who had led 228 laps, starting second. Hamlin seemed to get a head-start by accelerating before reaching the restart zone. Or, at least, Truex thought so.
“He jumped the start and then just used me up in Turn 1,” a dejected Truex said. Hamlin cruised from there.
The Fox broadcast booth reported the restart wasn’t reviewed but Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior VP of competition, said it was and was cleared.
Why is that even a question? The NFL automatically reviews every scoring play and turnover and if you’ve watched March Madness, you know just about anything eligible is reviewed in the last two minutes of a basketball game. Don’t get me started on college football, there have been wars fought in shorter order.
So, why isn’t every overtime restart reviewed?
There were also some social media posts arguing for “gray area” when it comes to restarts.
Stop.
If that’s the case, just quit drawing lines on the track and let ‘em go whenever.
Can you imagine, a catch being allowed in the NFL because a wide receiver’s feet were barely out of bounds?
Drivers and teams will always try to bend the rules. It’s up to NASCAR to uphold them.
Let’s go through the gears.
First gear
Speaking of iffy calls, how about the yellow that flew after Kyle Busch brushed the wall in Stage 2?
The caution came in the midst of a strategy play that left some drivers, most notably Alex Bowman, behind the eight ball and down a lap. He never recovered, settling for 17th.
Though Busch drove off, Sawyer backed the decision.
“It looked like he had a right front down, maybe brake failure, wasn’t really sure,” Sawyer said. “And that was really the deciding factor.”
Second gear
The ending left Truex lashing out at nearly anything in fender’s reach and unfortunately for Kyle Larson, his No. 5 took the brunt of it.
Truex door-slammed Larson down the backstretch on the final lap and Larson returned the favor out of Turn 4, pinching the No. 19 into the wall coming to the checkered flag. Larson finished third, Truex fourth.
Neither driver seemed concerned moving forward.
“I think he was more mad at Denny but I was the closest one,” Larson said. “It’s all good. I hope he doesn’t have any hard feelings toward me because I definitely don’t toward him.”
Third gear
Truex wasn’t the only driver with a lit fuse by the end of Sunday’s race.
Daniel Suarez approached Josh Berry for a chat after the two tangled at the end of Stage 1, sending Suarez spinning. Berry ended up 11th, Suarez finished 22nd.
Both drivers seemed satisfied with the conversation but Suarez hinted that retribution could be coming.
Fourth gear
Expect a similar battle for the lead this week. Joey Logano has the best average finish (5.2) over the last six events at Martinsville. Hamlin is the active wins leader with five with Truex Jr. second with three.