Backseat Blonde - Green Flag Finishes

July 12, 2004

Green Flag Finishes – Good Intentions, Bad Idea
By Allison Wagda

In recent months, NASCAR has instituted a whole host
of changes against the will of the fans, claiming to know
what’s best for the sport.

Now, NASCAR leaders are introducing a new rule solely
to appease fans: the much-debated Green/White/
Checkers.

NASCAR races often end under caution. As the final approach nears, racers put on
their A-game in a dash to the checkers. Because of NASCAR’s point system, gaining
a few positions can make a significant difference in a driver’s quest for the
championship. That sense of urgency often leads to crashes. Also, after running
round and round for hundreds of miles, many cars aren’t in tip-top shape, and a
blown tire or engine can bring out the caution.

In past years, fans have never been thrilled when a race ended under yellow. After all,
during those final laps their favorite driver might have had a chance. It might have
been anticlimactic, but it was an accepted part of racing.

So, what changed? Last September, Dale Jarrett was left stranded in the middle of
the racing groove as race cars sped past in a sprint to the start-finish line. Many
weren’t racing for the win, they were racing to regain lost laps. The old gentleman’s
agreement, long a tradition in Cup racing, had become something many racers only
used to help out friends or teammates. Racing back to the caution had become
exceptionally dangerous, so NASCAR quickly, and without much foresight, changed
the rules. Racing to the yellow was banned, and moving forward when the caution
flag was displayed the field would be “frozen.”

Little did they know just how much controversy would result. Initially, fans weren’t
happy since it meant few opportunities for drivers to gain a lap back – even with the
lucky dog exception. But the long-term ramifications became much more clear this
season. At Talledega, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon were in an epic battle for
victory when the caution flew, putting Gordon in front by a nose. When NASCAR failed
to red-flag the race in order to give Junior a shot, fans littered the track with beer
cans. In previous years, Junior would have at least had the opportunity to win by
racing back to the caution. But since the field was frozen, there was no chance.

That’s the real issue here. Not ending the race under caution. Fans just want to see
the winner get the victory by actually racing, not by virtue of their position at any given
moment.

But NASCAR’s leadership has spent too much time reading message boards in
order to try to regain the credibility they’ve lost over the past year. Instead of revising
the current rule to ensure racing, they are adding yet another one:
green/white/checkers finishes.

Under a typical green/white/checkers scenario, the race is guaranteed to end under
green. If a caution is displayed, drivers circle the track until it is clean again,
regardless of the number of laps officially left in the race. Then, the race is restarted
with one green lap, one white flag lap and then the final lap. Under the rumored new
rule, if a caution comes out on the checkered flag lap, this process will be repeated
at least once or twice until the winner actually takes the checkers.

It’s a flawed change. One of the few things in Cup racing that hasn’t been altered
over the years is the length of the race. The Daytona 500? Five hundred miles. The
only reason a race would be shortened would be rain. But never in my memory was
the race the Daytona 502. Under the expected new rule, that’s not only possible, it’s
likely.

It also puts drivers in peril. By bunching up the field and then letting them loose for
three wild laps, serious crashes are bound to happen. Even in this era of “softer”
walls, crashes are hardly a Disney ride. People can get hurt. Even killed. Will ending
races under green be worth losing one of our own? Not to me.

A green/white/checkers rule also changes the race game itself. Fans may not like it,
but fuel strategy plays a part in racing. And it should. Teams must know their car and
plan for more than speed. Add a few laps to the end of the race and strategy is moot.
Luck will play a bigger part, and that’s not in the best interest of anyone.

Besides driver safety, my biggest problem with the new rule is the fact that it is being
instituted in the middle of the season. It will change the outcome of races, and that’s
not fair. If something must be done, wait until the season is over. Fans want
NASCAR to be accepted as a sport, not a spectacle.

I don’t claim to have all the answers. Yes, something probably does need to be done
since freezing the field at the end of the race has proved disastrous. Perhaps the rule
should be modified to make the final outcome based upon racing rather than
position. NASCAR could continue freezing the field during the majority of the race, but
if a caution flies past the predetermined red-flag mark, leaders race back to the finish
line. While there is some risk, it certainly would be safer than the entire field gunning
for a three lap shootout.

NASCAR is trying (too) hard to restore credibility with fans. Ratings are down, the
new playoff system has been slow to be accepted, and almost every week
something new pops up to test Brian France’s leadership skills. I know they think
they’re throwing fans a bone, but once again it’s going to come back and bite them
on the rear end. Bet on it.

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