NASCAR took a step forward on Thursday when it announced single-file restarts will be implemented in the final 20 laps -- instead of the final 10 -- during events in all three of NASCAR's top-tier series during the 2009 season.

On Sunday, the bigger issue reared its head: double-file restarts with lapped cars mixing it up with the leaders. That is what needs to be addressed now -- right now, before any other on-track competition issues are considered.

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Kyle Busch had a dominant car but hard racing by lap-down cars ultimately ended his day.

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The single-file restart rule was changed to give lead-lap drivers a better chance to go for the victory instead of having to contend with lapped traffic on the inside as they do on double-file restarts that have been the norm.

"We just felt that for the cars that had earned their way up to the top during late stages of the race, it will give them a better opportunity to compete for the win," said Kerry Tharp, NASCAR's director of communications for competition.

"So instead of a single-file restart with 10 to go, that will now be with 20 laps to go. The beneficiary rule is still intact as it was; there is no beneficiary inside of 10 laps."

The beneficiary is the "Lucky Dog," the first car not on the lead lap, which during the rest of a race is given its lap back when a caution flag comes out.

Of course what everyone stands behind is safety -- no racing back to the line, everyone knows the first car not on the lead lap gets the free pass so the field is frozen under caution. That's great for those trailing the leaders.

The problem is when the green flies again and the lapped cars are running up front with the leaders and trying to race for position to possibly pick up the Lucky Dog the next time the yellow comes out.

The leaders are up front for a reason -- they've earned it, either on the track or by pit strategy. The leaders should stay up front with the others who have earned their positions, not be mired behind lapped traffic on restarts.

Double-file the restarts with the field in position as it runs -- not with lapped cars to the inside -- should be the next competition bulletin issued by NASCAR. It can only help the racing (and minimize the wrecking of front-runners by those seemingly all-too-eager to leave their mark early in the race).

Fan's Rant of the Week

NASCAR blew this call big time. When your top 10 consists of one driver that had led a lap prior to the last green-flag lap of a race with nearly 50 laps remaining -- you have a bad finish.

If this is the marquee event of your series, you run it to the finish. Whether you have an hour delay, or two days of delay, you run 500 miles. You don't take away from previous champions by putting a name on that trophy that didn't accomplish the same thing. The same thing should apply to the Indy 500, 24 hours at Daytona or LeMans. Finish the race, it deserves to maintain that dignity.

I don't have anything against Kenseth, but I think NASCAR took the opportunity to finally give Jack Roush a Daytona 500 trophy. I am a Stewart fan, and it was easier to accept last year's loss on a last-lap pass than it was to watch any chance yesterday be taken away without a race to the finish.

NASCAR needs to realize that this year took away from the prestige of the event, and destroyed the momentum that the previous two 500s had going. I guess we can't ask for 3 great finishes in a row, but it would've been nice to see them finish ... period. -- Jared A. Olschewski

Should the Daytona 500 ever be less than 200 laps?
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Thumbs up

Kenseth

• Matt Kenseth -- He qualified 39th and finished in Victory Lane (technically the car was on pit road when the race was called for rain, but forget the details). There is not an asterisk on the Harley J. Earl trophy that denotes the race was 152 laps instead of 200. It merely says 2009 Daytona 500 champion.

• Richard Petty Motorsports -- Three cars in the top 10: A.J. Allmendinger (third), Elliott Sadler (fifth) and Reed Sorenson (ninth).

• Clint Bowyer -- A fourth-place finish outta the box with a new team is a great start, whether Mother Nature intervened or not.

Impressed by ...

Mark Martin remaining extremely confident that he could challenge for the win, even while rain was falling and he was 16th. Who's to say he would not have won the race?

Thumbs down

Earnhardt Jr.

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- Look at the bright side: It can only get better from here. Between the pit-road woes and being the catalyst for a 10-car wreck ... next week can't be any worse.

• Joey Logano -- The No. 20 has been in this position before. In 2002, the team finished 43rd in the Daytona 500 and recovered to win the championship. No, lightning won't strike twice -- but "Been There, Done That" T-shirts would be a nice gesture. Or maybe "SSDD" tees. Your call, rook.

• Digger -- No matter how it's spun, a cartoon gopher isn't going to lure kids to stock-car racing. Want folks to laugh at Digger? Have Bill Murray drop a frag.

Disappointed by ...

Junior, and not because he "misjudged" getting off the apron and clipped Brian Vickers. Rather, it was another race in which he was forced to press because of self-inflicted wounds. Until that's resolved, Junior Nation will merely be a fan base cheering for the most popular driver -- not a championship driver.

Fantasy Racing

NASCAR.COM's Race for the Smithson Trophy is under way:

• About the teams

Up next

It's billed as the West Coast Debut of NASCAR: the Auto Club 500 at Fontana. (I assumed folks on the left coast had TV and saw the Daytona 500 until I was enlightened: It's a marketing play on words -- get it?!)

And while Matt Kenseth has a great track record at Cali (two wins, six top-five finishes and 10 top-10s in 14 starts), know this: No driver has won the first two races in a season since Jeff Gordon in 1997.

The chase is on ...

One down, 25 to go until the Chase field is set at Richmond:

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.