Imagine an epic filmed with alternate endings. Imagine a squabble over which one to use. Imagine the ensuing muddle.
This, however, wasn’t the movies. This was a NASCAR race televised nationally. This was a sporting event as hard to decipher as “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
Who won? Greg Biffle, for the first time all year. Biffle persevered through two rain delays, yet when his moment of triumph arrived, the winner was bogged down in the muck and cloaked in darkness. That was the literal scene. It also symbolized figuratively the entire zany afternoon. MONTE DUTTON, AOL
Just like the team that wins a baseball game is the one that scores the most runs. If you don’t score the most runs, you don’t win.
In this case, if you don’t get your car to the checkered flag first, you don’t win. Same deal.
But that didn’t happen Sunday in the LifeLock 400 at Kansas Speedway.
NASCAR ruled that Greg Biffle won the race even though he wasn’t the first driver to cross the finish line.
Imagine the confusion on that one for the casual fan watching at home. Terry Blount, ESPN.com
After Biffle was declared the winner, Johnson, Gordon and Clint Bowyer, all Chase drivers, cried foul, claiming Biffle didn’t win because he didn’t keep up with the pace car under caution and didn’t cross the finish line first.
“[Biffle] didn’t win the race, ” Gordon, who finished fifth, said.
“That’s your winner right there, ” Johnson said, motioning to Bowyer.
Bowyer, a Kansas native and track favorite, added: “To win a race and not be able to go to victory lane, I thought that was weird. ” Jeff Owens, FOXSports.com
“I could’ve passed the pace car if you want, ” said Biffle, whose Fusion contained a half-gallon of gas (about two laps’ worth) when inspected by officials. “I can go start the car up and do some burnouts in the garage and do some donuts if that’ll make everybody feel better. “
That wasn’t necessary for NASCAR, which awarded Biffle the victory (scoring monitors and early box scores indicated Bowyer led the final lap) because he maintained a reasonable speed in the judgment of the scoring tower. Passing isn’t allowed under yellow as long as cars keep pace, and NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston refuted Johnson’s assertion that a reasonable speed is equal to the 55 mph set by the pace car.
“If (Biffle) had come to a stop, then that car wouldn’t have won the race, ” Poston said. “The 16 maintained a reasonable speed. The judgment comes from the tower and not the competitors. ” Nate Ryan, USA TODAY
NASCAR, however, probably could have changed the outcome if it wasn’t in such a hurry to get the rain-delayed marathon over and Victory Lane celebration underway with darkness looming.
NASCAR worked so hard through two rain delays of nearly three hours to get in maximum laps, but then seemingly overlooked what took place on the final lap.
So suggesting Biffle had power and was maintaining reasonable speed is a reach. But reaching sometimes works. Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
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