The Yellow line Creates more problems than it Prevents

[DanicaFan]

How was that the line's fault? No one went below it, and I doubt anyone would have if it was legal.

No, Brad had nowhere to go on the inside of Carl. Even if he would of passed him without contact, he would of went below the yellow line. The incident could of been avoided. A cheap way for Brad to win.

Carl just showed he is a class act again during the post race interview.

[PitMarshal]

No, Brad had nowhere to go on the inside of Carl. Even if he would of passed him without contact, he would of went below the yellow line. The incident could of been avoided. A cheap way for Brad to win.

Carl just showed he is a class act again during the post race interview.

The same post race interview where he admitted trying to move back down the track only to find that BK was already there? There was no contact until Carl tried to block. That to me says there was plenty of room for Brad to get through without cutting below the yellow.

In any case we've been here before already this season when Joonyer caused a wreck by ducking below the yellow line then moving back up (can't remember where it was - Atlanta?). Someone suggested that what the driver on the inside should do is plant their inside wheels on the yellow line and refuse to budge. Well, Brad obviously listened and now people are bitching about it...

The real problem I think is partly blocking and partly restrictor plates. Can anyone find me a rp race that hasn't been won by someone barging the oppposition out of the way on the last lap?

[Lee Roy]

It was the drivers who asked for the yellow line rule. The problem was that cars were going way down on the apron going down the back straight into turn three (and sometimes into turn one) and when they got to the turn, they had to try to blend back up into traffic, where there may or may not have been room for them.

To do away with the yellow line rule would be a catastrophe.

Hey THE REAL PROBLEM is that Daytona and Talladega are too fast the way they're currently configured and they have to use those damnable restrictor plates. Tear down those high banks and many of the current problems would be solved.

[Haulin'AssAndTurnin Left]

I can think of MANY problems caused by yellow line rule:

1) 2002 Daytona 500. Harvick was leading the race and Jeff Gordon had a run on him. Harvick blocked him down to the line, Jeff refused to lift or go below the line, almost 20 cars taken out of the race. Poetic justice in same race: Jeff blocks Sterling Marlin to the line on a late race restart, Sterling dumps Jeff, and Ward Burton wins the 500

2) 2001 Pepsi 400. Tony Stewart gets drilled in the right side door by another car (replays showed that Stewart was hit) and Stewart goes below the line with 5 laps to go. Stewart was black flagged with 3 to go, refused to heed the black flag because the other car should have been penalized, too, ends up being scored the first car 1 lap down; comes seriously close to decking then Winston Cup Series director Gary Nelson.

3) 2003 Talledega (not sure if spring or fall). Kenny wallace gets forced below the line by another car as they are coming to the line, finishing 3rd. Penalized back to being 1st car 1 lap down, and again the offending car gets off scot free

4) 2003 EA Sports 500-Talledega. Elliot Sadler takes a wild ride, flipping several times because he tried to block Kurt Busch just before going into turn 3. Kurt held his line, the offending car paid the price (starting to see a pattern yet?)

5) 2008 Amp Energy 500. Regan Smith has huge run on
Tony Stewart. Tony Stewart blocks Regan below the line.
Regan Smith gets penalized to the end of the lead lap finsihing 18th. Tony Stewart gets no penalty for running him down there, given the race win.

6) 2009 Daytona 500. Dale Jr has huge run on Brian Vickers down the backstretch. Brian Vickers blocks Jr below the line. Because of the rule, Instead of just completeing the pass safely, Jr checks up, but not enough, trying to stay close to Vickers and not lose any momentum, Jr jumps back up above the line, dumping Vickers and taking out several cars.

7) 2009 Aarons 499. You just saw what happened today, don't make me have to repeat it.

And Those are just the penalties and wrecks caused by the rule. How about the non-calls, Like Jr passing Kenseth below the line in 2003? Instead of praisng an awesome racing move on Dale Jr's part, we are still, 6 years later, arguing whether or not NASCAR showed favoritism in not penalizng Jr for it. It shouldn't have even been an issue in the first place.

In a previous post 'Dega thread, I noted several great finishes at both Daytona and Talledega that would have been nullified had the yellow line rule been in place during the mid to late 90's (both the '97 and '99 Daytona 500's come to mind now, also both Talledega races in 2000).

In the in both the '97 and '99 Daytona 500's, Jeff Gordon passed on the apron entering turn 1. Both passes were race winning moves. In the 2000 Die Hard 500 at 'Dega, Jeff passed Mike Skinner below the line (it was white then) just past the entrance to pit road, also a race winning move. And who can forget Dale Sr's run to the front in the 2000 Winston 500 during those last 4 laps. The 3 had his left side tires in the grass going down the back stretch, trying desperately to get to the front...he got it done! None of these wins would have happend had the rule been in place. Both Jeff Gordon and Dale Sr would have been penalized, and the victory awarded to someone else if events played out exactly the same way, or there would have been big wrecks causing those races to end under caution had someone blocked them, and they probably wouldn't have won, anyway (there was now GWC back then)

Some one once said this was the anti-Jeff Gordon rule. The rule actually came about in the middle of the 2001 Talledega 500 weekend, after Jimmy "Never Forgets" Spencer whined and bitched about about Mike Mclaughlin passing him on the apron in the tri-oval coming to the checkers during the Busch race on Saturday. Jimmy called it a "dirty move" and made the comment that "Jimmy Never Forgets" during his post race interviews.
The very next day, during the drivers meeting for the Cup race, Mike "we don't react for the sake of reacting" Helton reacted by announcing the new yellow line rule, and the rest, as they say is history.

If it's soo bloody dangerous to go down there, then why on God's green earth is it legal at California and Las Vegas or any other freakin' oval they race on?!?!?!?

"the TRUE first prob with the yellow line happens and everyone wants it gone?"


Its obvious to me that some people here haven't brushed up on their Nascar history, TIC....

Y'all know what the sad thing is. Now NASCAR is going to forced to react because of the fan injuries, and instead of doing away with one obvious problem, they are going to drop the plate size one or two more increments, slowing the cars down even more, and taking away any vestige of throttle response the teams got back by using the COT instead of the old car. I predict they'l be running a 7/8ths plate at Daytona in July. which would be two sizes smaller than they have now (15/16ths). Slower speeds, no acceleration = bigger packs + blocking+yellow line rule= more wrecks.Some fix. But, at least the offical insurance company of NASCAR will be happy

I agree with everything you've said. I said after the Jr incident at daytona according to the rules the only real option for you if a car is coming across the front of you to block is to hold your line and wreck the guy if need be. We are in a situation now that drivers cant use all the available track surface. The yellow line rule has made it difficult for the guy in second place to pass, how many passes were made at Daytona were a car would go inside of a car coming off turn for to the tri oval?, now the 2nd place car has no option because the car ahead is glued to the yellow line.

[The instant classic]

"the TRUE first prob with the yellow line happens and everyone wants it gone?[/B]"


Its obvious to me that some people here haven't brushed up on their Nascar history, TIC....

i have been watching since 1988
for me this is the true first prob with the yellow line, if we didnt have the yellow line the wrecks wolud be wosre i think
everyone keeps saying get rid of that yellow line, but noone can say how to fix it, i have heard many say, nascar will slow the cars down
thats right slow them down, but when a driver gets a nice run he will run under the yellow line, and we all be back here talking about the same thing,
i have never seen any probs with the yellow line, but more blocking and guys not staying in 1 lane and jummping all over, if i ran Nascar i wolud look into that, but thats just me, whats yr guys ideas?

[slorydn1]

i have been watching since 1988
for me this is the true first prob with the yellow line, if we didnt have the yellow line the wrecks wolud be wosre i think

I know what u r trying to say, but the facts don't bear that out. I clearly remember the situations Lee Roy was talking about, how people were running out of room trying to blend in entering 1 or 3, especially at Daytona where the radius is tighter. I remember the TV crew would make a big deal out of it, the "What if's" ran rampant ("What If Driver X didn't check up and let him back in....) Then we wold have a 20 car wreck at the entrance of the turn in an area where there are no fans to get hurt (there are NO grandstands in either turn 1 or turn 3 at both plate tracks)....

Right now, I'd be willing to compromise and have zones where drivers cant go below the line, but make it legal on the backstretch and in the tri-oval but not in the turns.

I really don't know anymore. The wreck in '87 that caused restrictor plates to be used was a single car accident caused by a cut tire. The car took off on its own and flew into the stands. Back then a lot of the wrecks were just like what you would see at Michigan and California now. But, I am not advocating taking the plates completely off and letting them go 230 either.

Right now the only fix would be to lower the banking and do away with the plates, bring handleing back into play. How long do they run 3 wide at Atlanta and Texas, not very long at all, and they have to slow down to go into the corners. The packs have to be broken up somehow.

Jr's right. The way the cars are right now, the only way you can win a race is to push somone all the way around the track at the end, then make a move in the tri-oval and hope the guy doesn't block, which he will...everytime, guarenteed..

[Lee Roy]

I know what u r trying to say, but the facts don't bear that out. I clearly remember the situations Lee Roy was talking about, how people were running out of room trying to blend in entering 1 or 3, especially at Daytona where the radius is tighter. I remember the TV crew would make a big deal out of it, the "What if's" ran rampant ("What If Driver X didn't check up and let him back in....) Then we wold have a 20 car wreck at the entrance of the turn in an area where there are no fans to get hurt (there are NO grandstands in either turn 1 or turn 3 at both plate tracks)....

I think we're both right. Wrecks would be caused by doing away with the yellow line rule, but conversely, wrecks are caused by the yellow line rule.

Six of one, half dozen of the other.

NASCAR and ISC's lack of will to do anything to do away with restrictor plate racing is the real problem. Everything will just be band-aids until they cure the disease.

[slorydn1]

I think we're both right. Wrecks would be caused by doing away with the yellow line rule, but conversely, wrecks are caused by the yellow line rule.

Six of one, half dozen of the other.

NASCAR and ISC's lack of will to do anything to do away with restrictor plate racing is the real problem. Everything will just be band-aids until they cure the disease.

I beginning to agree more with you, I just can't remember any wrecks caused by people going there, I just rember several near misses, that could have been ugly "if"..... I can remember several wrecks caused by people worried about getting penalized.
Or, maybe Stan is closer to being right, its the blocking. But do we REALLY want to hand Nascar another tool to manage the race outcome by outlawing blocking. What happens when Jr blocks and doesn't get called, but they nail Harvick for it. Or, conversely, what happens if the take a win away from Jr because of blocking, especially at dega? Nascar has alerady proven the won't penalize him at 'dega for fear of ugliness from the crowd. So we are back to square one again

[e2mtt]

great posts by slorydn1 he says it all. The yellow line rule should go.

One thing is for sure... I don't want more rules. Racing isn't supposed to be judged by refrees & out-of-bound lines, it is bordered by concrete & grass and measured by stopwatch.

My solution? Mill rumble-strip grooves below where the yellow line is. No rules about them, nothing so extreme to upset the car when it goes over them, you just don't want to drive down there if you don't have to!

[youtellme]

Read the last line of this.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.(AP)—NASCAR officials are not considering changing the racing surface at Talladega Superspeedway following a spectacular last-lap accident that sent debris flying into the grandstands.

Vice president of competition Robin Pemberton says NASCAR will study several different safety standards, including the height of the fences surrounding the track. Carl Edwards’ car sailed into the frontstrech fence, which bowed but held, before the battered vehicle returned to the track.

Debris from the crash injured seven fans. An eighth fan was treated for a medical condition.

NASCAR officials also say they might have to be stricter in policing blocking and aggressive driving during restrictor-plate races.