More NASCAR Controversy 20 or 01, Who Won Talladega?
By: Gregg A. Shultz, RaceFanVote.com 10-05-08
If NASCAR doesn’t know why the fans might have a problem with their ruling against Regan Smith and for
Tony Stewart, then they haven’t been paying attention. The fans don’t mind rules, but they want consistency.
What happened Sunday night at Talladega was anything but consistent.
The fans like Tony Stewart and are probably happy that he won. He has been winless all of 2008 and has
never won at Talladega. Great story any other day.
Regan Smith… who is he, is he still driving for DEI in 2009? Who knew? If you listen to Sirius NASCAR
radio channel 128 you hear from him weekly on Dave Moody’s show [Sirius Speedway] and you know that
he is as dedicated and hungry as any driver on the track.
Especially in the embroiled and uncertain future Dale Earnhardt, Inc. they really needed a boost. They didn’t
get it.
I can guarantee that the controversy will not be that Regan Smith didn’t win, but simply that the sanctioning
body isn’t being consistent.
The rules are clear, but the gray area was established by NASCAR with the ruling that it was okay to go
below the yellow line if you were forced down there and that coming to the checkers, anything goes. The
ruling has been established with precedent in a truck series race at Daytona.
Even with that, Regan Smith gets put back to 18th place due to a penalty. Not even a second place for his
efforts.
It’s hard to write commentary and give fans a fair and unbiased reporting of the facts when you finally hit a
situation that you just plain don’t agree with.
Under any other circumstance I would be as happy as the most die-hard Tony Stewart fan that he won at
Talladega because it’s a great story, but with this situation, not so much.
The bad part is that there are no winners in this deal. We were all hyped that Talladega is famous for giving
the fans a first time winner with nine different drivers earning that distinction in the past and just when it was
looking like number 10 had unfolded, in front of our eyes, it was quickly snatched away.
Not many fans want to pit the popularity of Tony Stewart against Regan Smith if they want to see the driver
of the no. 01 DEI Chevy come out on top. In one sense it makes this a no-brainer on the popularity side, but
skewed on the side of consistency.
It just makes you think that what NASCAR thinks is the correct decision to make will not be popular with the
fans and, oh well. Sometimes what you can justify isn’t always right.
NASCAR will take a lot of heat for this all week and if you don’t believe me tune into Sirius NASCAR
channel 128 or the newly created NASCAR channel on XM Radio and listen to what the fans say. If you don’
t have it there are links to sign up here on this page or simply vote and see what the other fans think.
By: Gregg A. Shultz, RaceFanVote.com 10-05-08
If NASCAR doesn’t know why the fans might have a problem with their ruling against Regan Smith and for
Tony Stewart, then they haven’t been paying attention. The fans don’t mind rules, but they want consistency.
What happened Sunday night at Talladega was anything but consistent.
The fans like Tony Stewart and are probably happy that he won. He has been winless all of 2008 and has
never won at Talladega. Great story any other day.
Regan Smith… who is he, is he still driving for DEI in 2009? Who knew? If you listen to Sirius NASCAR
radio channel 128 you hear from him weekly on Dave Moody’s show [Sirius Speedway] and you know that
he is as dedicated and hungry as any driver on the track.
Especially in the embroiled and uncertain future Dale Earnhardt, Inc. they really needed a boost. They didn’t
get it.
I can guarantee that the controversy will not be that Regan Smith didn’t win, but simply that the sanctioning
body isn’t being consistent.
The rules are clear, but the gray area was established by NASCAR with the ruling that it was okay to go
below the yellow line if you were forced down there and that coming to the checkers, anything goes. The
ruling has been established with precedent in a truck series race at Daytona.
Even with that, Regan Smith gets put back to 18th place due to a penalty. Not even a second place for his
efforts.
It’s hard to write commentary and give fans a fair and unbiased reporting of the facts when you finally hit a
situation that you just plain don’t agree with.
Under any other circumstance I would be as happy as the most die-hard Tony Stewart fan that he won at
Talladega because it’s a great story, but with this situation, not so much.
The bad part is that there are no winners in this deal. We were all hyped that Talladega is famous for giving
the fans a first time winner with nine different drivers earning that distinction in the past and just when it was
looking like number 10 had unfolded, in front of our eyes, it was quickly snatched away.
Not many fans want to pit the popularity of Tony Stewart against Regan Smith if they want to see the driver
of the no. 01 DEI Chevy come out on top. In one sense it makes this a no-brainer on the popularity side, but
skewed on the side of consistency.
It just makes you think that what NASCAR thinks is the correct decision to make will not be popular with the
fans and, oh well. Sometimes what you can justify isn’t always right.
NASCAR will take a lot of heat for this all week and if you don’t believe me tune into Sirius NASCAR
channel 128 or the newly created NASCAR channel on XM Radio and listen to what the fans say. If you don’
t have it there are links to sign up here on this page or simply vote and see what the other fans think.
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