Pedal to the Metal – ?Lucky dog? rule makes for safe races
The Nextel Cup series took Easter weekend off, but there was some hot ARCA and Busch racing on a cold and chilly Saturday. My grandson Justin started 27th and finished 11th in the ARCA race. He is second in points, five behind Frank Kimmel.
Nextel Cup driver Carl Edwards won the Busch series race and seems to be running away with the championship after only seven races. He plans to run the complete Busch series schedule and already has a 321-point lead over Dave Blaney.
Prior to 2003, drivers raced back to the start/finish line when the caution came out. This was a somewhat dangerous situation at times with cars sitting in the middle of the track while other cars narrowly avoided them while racing back to the finish line. In 2003, NASCAR changed the rule for the better, eliminating racing under caution and implementing the ?free pass,? or as I like to call it the ?lucky dog.? The rule has been tweaked over the past five years to what we have today.
? One of the main rule changes was to allow the first car not on the lead lap to regain a lap. Previously, the leader of the race would sometimes slow to allow one or two cars back on the lead lap. Under the new procedure, the first car not on the lead lap would automatically regain a lap, regardless of where the car was in relation to the leader.
? Once the yellow flag is waved, all drivers must immediately reduce speed to a ?cautious pace? and get in a single-file line behind the leader.
? Drivers who pass while reducing speed will be given the chance to return to their original position immediately. If they do not, ?NASCAR will intervene.?
? Drivers who do not ?maintain a reasonable speed? during the yellow will lose their track position.
? Any driver involved in the incident that caused the caution will restart in the position they are able to return to the race without advancing their position.
? No lucky dog is given with 10 laps or less to go in the race.
Jeff Burton, in car No. 31, was the only full-time driver who didn?t get a lucky dog pass at all last year. Twenty-two drivers have taken advantage of the rule so far in 2007.
Today?s race is the Texas Samsung 500. The Texas Motor Speedway is a very fast one and a half mile track with 24-degree banking in the turns. Last year?s style cars will be used and speeds should be over 190 mph. With a purse in excess of $7 million, this is the third highest purse for the 36 race season, trailing Daytona?s $18 million and Indy?s $9 million.
Our wrestling columnist Duane Sherrill will have to watch the opening ceremonies as ?Stone Cold? Steve Austin will be the grand marshal and give the command to start the engines. Austin will then be a guest in the pits of wrestling fan and Nextel Cup series driver Elliott Sadler.
Now we can see the importance of being in the top 35. Rain cancelled qualifying, so the line-up has been set by owner points. Eight drivers did not get a chance to qualify and will not race today. The list includes Waltrip, K. Wallace, Andretti, Mayfield, Wimmer, Lepage, and two rookie drivers, Almendinger and Reutimann. Four of those listed are Toyota drivers.
Enjoy the race.
Art Larson Sr., has been following racing for over 40 years. He can be reached at [email protected].