Robby Gordon said he thinks the debris came from the rear of his car, not the window. Credit: Autostock

R. Gordon lucky, Burton not-so after debris yellow

Gordon denies throwing padding out window to get late free pass

HAMPTON, Ga. -- It was just a tiny piece of debris, but it played a major role in deciding two drivers' outcomes in the Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Jeff Burton finished 13th, while the Lap 290 free pass allowed Robby Gordon to get a top-10 finish. Credit: Autostock

Bass Pro Shops 500 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Tony Stewart Chevy 2. Jimmie Johnson Chevy 3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy 4. Matt Kenseth Ford 5. Greg Biffle Ford 6. Jeff Gordon Chevy 7. Carl Edwards Ford 8. Denny Hamlin Chevy 9. Joe Nemechek Chevy 10. Robby Gordon Chevy • Complete results, click here • Driver standings, click here FrustratedJeff Burton is unhappy after his 13th-place finish Debris on track?Robby Gordon defending himself from debris throwing Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

On Lap 290, a small piece of debris emerged from around the No. 7 Chevrolet of Robby Gordon, who was the first car a lap down. The resulting caution put Gordon back on the lead lap, and he rallied to finish 10th.

Gordon denied that he threw debris out the window to create the caution. The piece was suspected to be foam rubber padding commonly used to cover roll bars.

"I definitely didn't throw anything out the window, so I don't know," Gordon told NBC after the race. "It looked like it came out the back of the car actually."

NASCAR reviewed the tape of the incident and said it was inconclusive.

Jeff Burton, who finished 13th, disagreed.

He said that drivers occasionally throw roll-bar padding onto the track to create needed cautions, and he called on NASCAR to investigate.

"We were going to be OK and they threw the caution for a piece of roll-bar padding," Burton said. "They ought to stop every car on pit road, and they ought to check every car."

Burton had just completed a pit stop seven laps prior to the caution and was seeking a stretch of green-flag racing to stay on pit cycle with everyone else. That didn't happen when the caution flew.

"Whoever threw the roll bar padding out, they ought to fine them 185 points and fine them 100 grand, because it is a huge impact on the race and it is ridiculous and it happens too often. They need to figure out who did it and penalize them."

During a Busch race at Texas Motor Speedway in April, Reed Sorenson allegedly threw a piece of roll-bar padding out the window in an attempt to create a caution.

NASCAR gave Sorenson a black flag for the incident, but he did not face additional NASCAR sanctions, which are usually distributed during the middle of the week.