Last Lap: Credibility crisis in NASCAR

Sunday's Pocono 500 was Days of Thunder meets Children of the Corn - a nightmarish parody of stock car racing.

Before we delve into the intricacies of NASCAR's most recent meltdown, I want to confirm that I stand behind all I've said in the past regarding the sport's decision makers. I won't crucify them just to hear my head ring.

Their job is difficult. I respect that, and know I am incapable of performing that job. But I don't get paid to perform that job. They do. And presently they're not getting it done. Hence, their credibility in the Nextel Cup garage is in question.

Under a new rule implemented last weekend, pit road would open for pit stops the second time the race leader passed the entrance to pit road. In the past, the pits remained closed until the pace car passed the entrance to pit road.

But on Sunday, before race leader Jimmie Johnson ever reached the entrance to pit road, a NASCAR official waved a green flag, signifying it was okay to pit. Several cars headed down pit lane, while Johnson, Terry Labonte and Jamie McMurray stayed out, correctly obeying the new rule.

Rather than admit fault, NASCAR shrugged its shoulders and left the field alone, disallowing Johnson any opportunity to reclaim the lead he'd held most of the day. Team Lowe's crew chief Chad Knaus was incensed, hopping down from the pit box to plead his case to the official in his pit stall, albeit to no avail.

"The green flag was out when Jimmie went by, but it was out at the wrong time," NASCAR president Mike Helton told the Associated Press. "As soon as we realized there had been a mistake, we opened it back up for the lead cars a second time. We realized quickly there was no fix for a mistake on our part."

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To me, the main question here is about accountability. Was it an error by the gentleman waving the flag, or did someone in the tower tell him to wave the flag? Someone screwed up and nearly took an opportunity to win away from Johnson.

"It was like, look, they know, they understand, we've been screwed on this deal and it will be solved at the end of the race," Johnson explained after the race. "Without a doubt -- I really felt this would be the thing that took the race from us."

This marks the second consecutive week - and seemingly the umpteenth time this season -- that confusion during cautions has prolonged an event, left competitors and fans bewildered and thrown fuel on the fire NASCAR's credibility currently smolders in.

"That caution lasted so long. There was confusion as to who was where and what was going on," Johnson continued. "At one point in time there were only four cars on the lead lap and then it changed. I didn't know what the heck was going on.

"As time worn on, people need to play their strategy out for fuel. A group of cars pitted. Then another group of cars pitted. When we went back to green we were in sixth position.

"Not that that rectified or fixed the problem of us doing the right thing and being penalized for it, but I wasn't as mad. Here I am with a shot at a top five finish, top ten or win the race if it worked out. Luckily we were able to work traffic."

Luckily for NASCAR, that is. Had Johnson not fought back to win this race, the storm they're facing this week would be far worse. On the flip side of that, the decision to end the race under caution only adds fodder for conspiracy theorists, as Johnson was close to running out of fuel. (Interestingly enough, it doesn't seem as if anyone paid much mind to the Matt Kenseth/Kevin Harvick dance recital as a culprit thereof.)

	Jeff Gordon

I spoke with NASCAR communications vice president Jim Hunter Monday morning, and he said Helton will do whatever it takes to maintain credibility with competitors.

"Yesterday was just an unfortunate incident, and the best way to address it is it was simply a mistake," Hunter said. "I'm sure Mike is going to do everything he can to prevent it from happening again.

"It just so happens it was two weeks in a row where things didn't go according to plan, and I know he's all over it. He's said before he'll do whatever it takes to maintain credibility in the garage."

As frustrated as fans have been in the past, their dismay has reached a new plateau. They're disgusted, and I can't say I blame them. Jeff Gordon doesn't blame them, either.

"I want to apologize to the fans," Gordon said Sunday. "That was absolutely uncalled for today to run that many laps under caution and all the disputes on pit road. I'm embarrassed. I want to apologize to them for that."

What about you guys?

Do you think the changes NASCAR has made to the rules in recent weeks have created more problems than they solved?

biffleboy: Seriously, what is going on in that office? The mass confusion bit is getting tiring. While I'm glad they finally caught on that the amount of time spent under caution was unacceptable (finally), NASCAR needs to be more proactive than reactive.

These knee jerk responses to what happened the week before is ridiculous, unprofessional and annoying. Will we see some mechanical flagman in front of pit road next week??

I would like to officially sanction NASCAR due to their violation of Section 12-4-A of the NASCAR Rulebook (Actions detrimental to stock car racing). Pay up NASCAR! Fire the dead weight making your decisions and lets get someone in there that knows what they're doing!

To say NASCAR officials don't know what they're doing is foolish, Biff. They know what they're doing, they're just not executing properly. The practice of racing back to the caution has found its rightful place in the graveyard, and streamlining caution periods is essential right now. Patience among fans is wearing thin, but hang in there.

NASCAR gets it. They just aren't getting it right. Each time they make a change for the better, an unforeseen circumstance swings around and bites them in the backside. It's amazing, really, how so many decisions have triggered adverse ramifications.

88_Rules: Not only do I believe that the rules changes have caused confusion, but I believe NASCAR is shooting itself in the foot. As this season has progressed I have become more and more disenfranchised with the way things are going. As a fan I find myself becoming bored and ready for a nap by 1/4 of the way through a race.

Between the confusion of the rules changes, the ridiculously long caution periods, the ridiculously long commercial breaks and lack of competition at most tracks, I find myself looking for something more entertaining, like watching paint dry.

This response scares me, because it's so telling. FOX pit road reporter Steve Byrnes often makes the point that the more you confuse fans, the less interested they're going to be. He couldn't be more right.

It's like trying to explain football to my wife. The more rules I fill her head with, the more frustrated and confused she gets. Next thing you know, she's in the other room watching Trading Spaces.

Gogregbiffle: I think that confusion will continue to reign until the rulebook stabilizes for a while, but over the long run the changes to caution procedures will reduce the length of the cautions and thus, after the adjustment period, actually improve the situation it was intended to fix. I also think it will take a while for people to adjust to trusting the electronic scoring.

IMO the more "loops" in each track the better because its inevitable that people will pass in between the loops. But this is better than going back to the last green flag lap because its fairer to the drivers who made passes during the lap the caution fell on.

I just wish that while they were changing things they'd go ahead and add the in-car caution light/audible alarm so that no driver has any excuse for not slowing immediately. Then up the penalty for failing to slow and apply it firmly until the drivers are in the habit of getting their feet off the gas and onto the brake the moment they see the light -- or else.

I also wish, and this wish is probably in vain, that NASCAR would simply set the rules for an entire season and leave them alone except for unusual situations like last summer when the "gentlemen's agreement" went out the window and serious safety issues took over. The fewer "tweaks" and "judgment calls" the better.

Nicole did her homework. Great response. As I said earlier, racing back to the caution is gone forever, and with good reason. Anyone who thinks differently – I read several responses that suggested we reinstate racing back to the yellow – needs only go back to Sept. 14, 2003, Loudon, NH, Dale Jarrett sideways in the front straightaway with four cars speeding directly at him.

As competitive as NASCAR racing is these days -- at all levels – drivers must be forced to let off the throttle. Asking simply isn't good enough any longer.

The concept of having multiple scoring loops is a far better option than reverting back to the last green flag lap. It's likely there are multiple loops in each corner, even.

Therefore, a driver who successfully passes for the lead in Turn 4 won't be penalized when the caution flies, but rather rewarded his rightful position. That wouldn't happen if the field were frozen under caution, and then lined up according to positions on the last green flag lap.

As for the caution light on the dashboard, it's a no-brainer. It costs four bucks, could be electronically triggered and is far quicker than the spotter's voice. Jeff Burton said something quite interesting during the Busch Series telecast at Dover: Put a row of lighting down the roll cage bar in the middle of the windshield.

Here's my crazy idea: Any of you guys ever seen the red lighting around the backboards in the NBA? It makes it easy for everyone to tell whether or not a player got off a shot before the buzzer. Maybe we could develop a way to put a lighting system around the windshields. If the drivers didn't see that, they'd have to be plumb blind. Just an idea...

829Fan: I think the problem is just getting everyone used to the change. After all, NASCAR had been doing things such as when to open pit road the same way for the first 14-15 races and then change it in one week. While the people who made the change are in charge of the sport, they are also human and humans make mistakes.

At least they admitted to it and didn't try to hide it or offer an excuse. They said "We're sorry, we screwed up" and you have to respect them for that. I believe things will get better with each week as everyone gets used to the changes that have been made, provided that there are not any more drastic changes in the near future.

I'm shocked by this response. I didn't think there was even the remotest chance someone would sympathize with NASCAR.

I was heartened when NASCAR stood up and admitted their mistake after the Charlotte Truck race – even if it did take four days and significant investigative work on Carl Edwards' part to make it happen.

Oftentimes apologies suffice, but I have a hard time believing Knaus and Rick Hendrick would have accepted an "I'm sorry," were the outcome of that race different.

ALIWANT24: I think that it all takes time! Fans, Media, everyone is so quick to jump down NASCAR's throat. It went from racing back to the caution, to not racing back, manual scoring to electronic scoring.

The long run has a great purpose. Yes, the caution laps are on the high side - some higher than others. This is a new system for everybody. It takes time to tweak! I think everyone needs to back off and let is run its course. Everyone has a learning curve, that is what NASCAR is doing.

Humans make errors because we are HUMAN, imagine that! NASCAR wants to eliminate humans. OK, but it takes time. The system is new. I think Mike Helton has done a great job in working to get it right.

Ted_in_PA: Like any change, it will create controversy at the beginning. At least there is an attempt to correct a problem, that was not created until the "frozen field" at the inception of the caution. These are growing pains to a safety issues. Much like the Hans Device, and making the drivers wear one.

I like to loop system, it will eventually, eliminate the fiascos, we saw at Dover, but it is a technology that is new to NASCAR, not new in usage. Once they figure out, that the system is smarter than they are, things will settle down.

If you want to shorten caution laps, several things need to happen. 1. A-holes need to quit throwing debris on the track 2. The safety crews' numbers need to be increased, to get the track cleared faster. 3. Let the scoring loop determine the position, not the towers eyes. Those computers are one hell of a lot faster, and more accurate, than a human. 4. Get rid of the NASCAR "official" that opens pit road, become a computer controlled device, that once the leader trips the loop prior to the Pit road entrance, 2 times, the light changes. (ability to be overridden in the event of a crash on pit road).

I love Ted's response. First, regarding folks throwing objects from the stands: You best pray to all that is holy and good that NASCAR officials never see you throw something. Jimmy Howell got tagged in the head by a cooler Sunday, and no one will every forget that.

Secondly, the idea of a sensor opening pit road. Love it. Essentially, you could put a standard stop light at the entrance to pit road, with a red light on the top, yellow in the middle and green at the bottom.

The first time the leader goes by the entrance to pit road, the red light turns to yellow, preparing drivers for pit road to open the following lap. Then, the second time the leader rolls by, the light turns green, opening pit road. Very well done, Ted.

IceManFan5: At the current time, yes, the rules changes, or interpretations if you wish to call them, have created more problems than they have solved. Nobody is sure what type of situation is presented each time the caution flag falls. But, I do think NASCAR is on the right track in attempting to get the race back to green as quickly as possible.

As they make changes to their operating procedures during the race, things will move a lot smoother. They are relying more on electronic scoring which takes a huge burden off of the human element of using video. I think we need to give them a few more races to truly see the effects of the most recent changes.

This is dead-on, Tiger. Sometimes in order to take two steps forward you have to take one step back.

Bowtie20: I think NASCAR is making the worst out of a good thing. They have to remember where and how they started. They keep making more stupid moves, reminds me of the WWF, they control the winners.

Ugh. Enough with the wrestling comparisons, already. Do you guys really think NASCAR could get away with handing someone a race? I mean, seriously.

With USA Today and CNN and countless other legitimate news outlets at the racetrack every week, hell bent on holding the sanctioning body accountable, that they could get 43 teams to agree to one winner?

Never happen, guys. Now I'm not saying there isn't some shady stuff going on in inspection lines, etc., but races aren't straight up fixed.

Okay, time to wrap this up. The responses were so good, I could have written a rival to War and Peace. Wonder what'll happen at Michigan?

The Last Lap appears on NASCAR.COM every Tuesday.

The opinions listed here are solely those of the writer.