Helton: Adhere to gentleman's agreement

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Mike Helton issued a thinly veiled threat to Winston Cup drivers about the "gentleman's agreement" during the pre-race drivers meeting at the Pepsi 400 Saturday afternoon: adhere to it, or we'll step in.

The controversy over the agreement came to a head two weeks ago at Infineon Raceway, when eventual winner Robby Gordon passed teammate Kevin Harvick as a full-course caution flag waved.

The agreement, which isn't a NASCAR rule, stipulates that all drivers slow down and hold their position when the caution comes out, and that it's up to the leader to decide whether to race to the caution flag.

The policy was instituted years ago when drivers went to NASCAR to talk about "some policy or procedure" about racing to the caution, Helton said. Drivers did not want NASCAR to police such a policy.

"They all went off on their own and made an agreement: when the caution comes out, let's throw up our hand, and everybody should whoa up at the same time," Helton said. "That's the gentleman's agreement. It's been working pretty well up until recent years."

Helton said there should be a gentleman's agreement, but it's up to the drivers. But Helton warned drivers Saturday that if the agreement continues to be violated, NASCAR would step in.

"You drivers are the only ones that can make that happen," Helton said. "If it gets out of hand, then NASCAR is going to have to step in. I don't think we want to do that, and I don't think you want us to do that.

"But there ought to be one. It doesn't seem like there is one anymore, but there ought to be one."