With 500 looming, NASCAR looks at changing rules
Just days before the most important race of the year, NASCAR is
looking at changing the rules.
NASCAR told all three series in Wednesday morning’s
safety meeting that the sanctioning body is looking at redefining
the green-white-checker rule to finish races.
In the past, when a caution occurred in the closing laps of a
race, the field made one attempt at a green-white-checkered flag
finish. Under the new rule, NASCAR will make sure the track is
clean, run multiple green laps before waving the white and finally
the checkered flag.
However, once the leader takes the white flag, the race is
official just like under the current rules.
Robin Pemberton, Vice President of Competition for NASCAR,
used the analogy of Saturday night’s multi-car wreck in Turn
3 where the leaders came around to the white flag and Kevin Harvick
led the field around to the track for the final lap. Pemberton
said, “At least with the new rule they’re going to race
(one full lap of green) and then go on the white if we do
this.”
Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon isn't in favor of multiple
attempts to finish under green.
"Unfortunately my schedule didn't allow me to be at the
safety meeting this morning or I would have voiced my opinion in
that and said, 'One green-white-checkered and one green-checkered'
(laughs)," Gordon said. "They could do 10 green-white-checkereds
and we're still not going to make it to the checkered.
"It just needs to be a one lap, take the green and finish
after we attempt one green-white-checkered. ... I just think that
you've got fuel mileage issues. We're all cutting it real close
anyway. And all you're going to do is set yourself up for another
wreck. You give us two laps out there under green and we're going
to find a way to wreck."
The rule could go into effect for all three series as early
as Thursday's qualifying races for the Daytona 500.
