Vice Chairman: XFINITY race 'example of unintended consequences'
NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton warned drivers about blocking in Sunday's Coke Zero 400 (7:45 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM), addressing the 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pilots during the drivers' meeting at Daytona International Speedway.
Following a video highlighting the rules for the 160-lap, 400-mile race, Helton discussed the evolution of the double yellow stripe, which is in place at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway.
"The rationale behind that came from the evolution of actions and the equipment on the race track gave you the ability to move around," Helton said. "It got to a point where the drivers, you, were comfortable enough to make moves that ended up putting the rest of the field or many other cars in jeopardy.
"So those actions, over time, we tried to figure out how NASCAR would respond to that, and we created that double yellow line that's only in Daytona and Talladega.
"And I point to that because blocking is kind of creeping that way here and in Talladega. Last night's race, I think, was an example of the unintended consequences that can come from a blocking move."
Late in Saturday's Subway Firecracker 250, leader Brian Scott moved down the track to block Elliott Sadler, sending both cars into the outside wall on the backstretch and leading to a 10-car pileup.
"We were definitely in the catbird seat there going down the back straightaway there; we had Joey Logano pushing us and had a lot of momentum coming off Turn 2 and were making our way to the front," Sadler said.
"I think either Brian or his spotter made the block too late; I was already up to his right rear tire. He made the block to late and wrecked us. It was nothing intentional, it's just racing."
RELATED: Scott blocks Sadler in Saturday's race
Ryan Newman asked Sprint Cup Series Managing Director Richard Buck what constituted going below the double yellow line, and Buck responded left-side tires on the inside of the inside line.
Helton noted he was "not telling you how to drive the race cars ... but drivers, be conscious about the moves that you're making on the race track, particularly when it comes to what we call blocking. So just think about that tonight in the race."