Dega

[harvey lee]

One can block a car anywhere they chose and its within the rules. One cannot gain a position under the yellow line as Smith did.

[lawdog]

The rule at Talledega also says you can't force someone down below the yellow, they talked about it many times today. Tony pulled up to block went Smith showed him the outside move and Smith went under him and had the position if Tony didn't force him down below the yellow. Next time Smith (and everyone else in that position) will know to just dump him, that's what has to happen if the out of bounds rule only gets called one way!

[Neighbor_guy]

Rules are rules. If you dont like them, dont play the game. Tony knew full well that if Smith went below the line, weather forced there or not he had to fall back in line behind tony, Not force his way past under the line.

Out of bounds is out of bounds. It is a rule, not a suggestion. I for one applaud NASCAR (man that hurts) for standing behind the rulling. They set the rule, they enfoced it. You can not advance your position under the yellow line.

Do what it takes to win. A football player knows if you force someone out of bounds you have taken them out of the play. If Smith would have dumped him and claimed Tony came down everyone would be upset about it, but it would have been part of the game.

[tunrevir]

Pretty exciting finish to say the least. I really though smith was going to dump Stewart at the end. Nice to see the DEI boys have a good day.

Tunrevir~

[Uncle Bill]

Great race.

Tony wins.

Smith cheated.

Edwards deserves a slap for his bonehead driving.

[PierBridge]

Smith won the race as he finished ahead of Tony at the end!

Kind of reminds me of having 2 soccer balls and not keeping score in youth sporting events!

[harvey lee]

One does need to follow the rules and he did not. I credit NASCAR for keeping the rules intact and not caving in to the pressure.

[PierBridge]

I agree by the lame rules it was Stewart's Win. I just looked at the replay and Smith didn't really have the position all Tony did was legally block him which forced Smith down below.

I do believe if the roles were reversed and Tony went below the yellow Nascar would have said Tony was forced down and given Stewart the Win anyway !

[fishinchicks]

Wasn't Tony the first one penalized under this rule when it first came out? He ended up in 26th place or something like that?

[polarsusd81]

I think it kinda sucks that they moved him back to the last car on the lead lap. That really hurt me on my 5 driver team in the office pool. All my other drivers crashed out, and he was my only one left running at the end.

[harvey lee]

He should have not went below the yellow line and tried to pass high.

[LMITOUT]

He should have dumped Stewart.

[Neighbor_guy]

The guys on "This Weak in Nascar" Waltrip and the Biff seemed to think it was a fair win. They seamed to think that tony did what he had to do to get the win.

[harvey lee]

Any driver out there would have done what the 20 did.

[Johnsonator]

Biff said that it was fair and it was any mans race but he thought that Regan should have won. He also said that if he is ever in that position, he is going to wreck the 20 when he comes down on him because nascar isn't going to enforce thier blocking rule.

I just wonder if the roles were reversed would nascar have given the win to Stewart or Smith. My bets are the 20 still would have got the win because I am sure the "if you can see the checkers" rules would have been used.

[PierBridge]

Yep!

[harvey lee]

Not to agrue but I really doubt that NASCAR would have changed the rules for the 20 car.

[Sifty]

The 20 car would have "moved" him.

Sifty

[88fan]

The 20 was doing what he had to do. If I was Smith going for my first win I would dump Tony. But hang on next week because he would get even. Why didn't the DEI cars split the 20 (one go high the other low)?

[PierBridge]

Sounds like most of the drivers polled thought Smith should have won the race based on Tony Forcing Smith below the line which is a penalty in itself!

[PierBridge]

Also Nascar is on record at Daytona "truck race" saying that if the checkered flag is in the air ALL yellow line rules are OUT!

Sounds like they need some clarification!

[Johnsonator]

PierBridge, I 100% agree with you! I am starting to think they like thier rules to be unclear.

[NAPAFISH]

Nascar protects the Top Drivers

[Johnsonator]

Nascar protects the Top Drivers

Sure Do! They have the big sponsors with the big dollars!

[Wanderer]

Finally got to watch it! Busy week.

Hmmm... All's fair on the last lap? I don't buy it. DJ didn't buy it either. His comment (not ver batum): Why would the rules for the first 187 laps change on the last one?

I watched the pass a few times. I think if the roles were reversed, Tony would have held his car above the line and kept himself in bounds. It would have been excused as Smith came down on him and there would have been a wreck.

Whatever it was, Tony did what his experience told him he had to do to get the win. And he would have probably gotten it the other way too.

Reagan Smith learned from this too. Don't expect him to move next time either.