Drivers unhappy after failing to put down a lap in final session at Pocono
Is there yet another change in store for NASCAR’s qualifying format?
That appears to be the case in light of one official’s comments earlier this week on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s morning show, The Morning Drive.
Steve O’Donnell, executive vice president and chief racing development officer for NASCAR, said the sanctioning body is looking at the format following last week’s qualifying program at Pocono Raceway.
Five drivers had failed to complete an official qualifying lap in the time allotted when officials ended the session due to a spin by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin.
In addition to Hamlin, six-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick teammate Kasey Kahne, JGR’s Kyle Busch and Team Penske’s Joey Logano also failed to post a time in the final round.
Because Hamlin’s incident occurred in the final round, those failing to complete a lap were slotted into the final five spots inside the top 12 (eighth through 12th), based on their best time in the previous round. So although Hamlin’s spin was the reason for the caution and prevented others from completing their laps, his eighth-place starting position was highest among those not completing their laps.
“It’s something that we are going to look at because the rules were in place, and you always see something new,” O’Donnell said. “In this case, is it the right decision to have a driver, not on purpose, but they cause a caution and therefore qualify ahead of two or three drivers who may have not been able to go out and qualify?
“So some folks could say that’s on them. They should have gone out earlier (in the session). But you also have to look at it, is that the right move?”
O’Donnell said conversations about a possible change have already begun “and we’ll have a decision here shortly.”
The format, with only the fastest 12 advancing into the final round, provides something of a safety net, according to Hamlin.
“Knowing that you can only go back to like 12th makes you just put it on the line a little bit more in these qualifying sessions,” he said. “I went for it and just stepped over that line a little bit.”
Logano, who has started on the front row (in positions 1-2) seven times this year through 14 events, wasn’t happy with the turn of events.
“Because a car spins out and they throw a red flag for it and then you don’t get an opportunity to go out and make a lap, I don’t understand it,” he said. “It makes me mad. I don’t get it. We didn’t even have a chance to try to put our car up front.”
Martin Truex Jr., Sunday’s race winner and one of seven that did post an official time in the final round, said afterward that he wasn’t aware of Hamlin’s spin.
“I imagine if I was in that position I would probably be a little bit upset,” the Furniture Row Racing driver said. “At the same time there was plenty of time before that to make a lap. … I’m sure there will be some talking going on with NASCAR from the drivers that didn’t make the lap and come up with a way to resolve it I suppose in the future. I guess I would be pretty mad if it was me. I can feel for those guys.”
Johnson said that while the incident was unfortunate, “as long as NASCAR is consistent through all three series then we will take our medicine and just deal with it.”
Contacted Wednesday, a NASCAR spokesperson said only “as we do every week, (we’re) looking at everything related to the event.”
Timing is Everything
Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway saw 25 penalties doled out to teams, four of which were for speeding on pit road.
Fortunately for two of the three teams tagged for excessive speed, the infractions occurred early enough in the race to likely not be a factor in the outcome.
Logano was the first driver hit with a pass-through penalty for speeding exiting pit road on Lap 22; the Team Penske driver worked his way back despite the loss of track position to eventually finish fourth.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth was flagged for speeding when coming onto pit road (Lap 28), but was sixth by the time the checkered flag appeared.
Richard Childress Racing driver Paul Menard was doubly unfortunate, receiving speeding penalties when entering pit road at Lap 26 and again at Lap 28 when he came in to serve the initial penalty.
Making matters worse, a lug nut cut the inner valve stem as he left pit road, forcing Menard to bring the No. 27 Chevrolet back to his pit stall a third time.
The resulting 31st-place finish was the team’s worst of the season and the third time he has failed to finish on the lead lap this year.
Unofficially, there have been 396 penalties called this year (excluding non-points events). There were 303 through the first 14 races last season.