Lap 19 Carnage Takes Several Contenders

Because a wreck like this in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series must be revisited, we'll start with the video:

The whole mess started when, as you saw, Elliott Sadler dropped down coming off turn 2 across the nose of David Gilliland in the No. 38. Sadler spun into the wall and stopped sideways across the track in Sunday's Best Buy 400 at Dover.

Tony Stewart couldn't slow down quick enough and slammed into Sadler's front-end. Both cars then blocked the entire race track as Denny Hamlin slid into the mess with Scott Riggs, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte and others getting a piece of the mess.

Hamlin and Sadler both retired from the race after the accident, Dale Earnhardt Jr. came back on track ten laps down, and Tony Stewart returned to run another 183 laps in the event.

The wreck likely was multiplied by the fact that drivers did expect the carnage to sweep to the bottom of the track as it usually does at Dover. Instead, the track remained blocked and drivers coming off turn 2 just simply couldn't see down the straightaway until it was too late.

Harvick, Hamlin, Stewart, and Earnhardt Jr. all dropped in the Top-10 of the Sprint Cup point standings due to the accident, which did cause a 15-minute red flag. The rest of the race, impressively enough, had just four more cautions with few wrecks.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

6-01-2008 @ 7:40PM

Mike said...

After watching the pre-race interview and the post crash interview with Tony Stewart I am convinced he is either taking the happy pill or has undergone some form of anger management. Welcome to the human race Tony, you are becoming a likable guy.
MBL

6-01-2008 @ 8:34PM

Batman said...

Well, it looks like we will have to wait yet another week to see if Tony Stewart will say the words, Home Depot "Toyota".

6-01-2008 @ 8:45PM

drgrcr601 said...

Maybe there is something very good going on in Tony's life or career that we are not yet aware.

Ron

6-01-2008 @ 9:01PM

Susan said...

I think that Tony would like for everyone to buy the "Prelude to the Dream" on PPV Wednesday. I would love to go. I guess that I'll just have to pay for it AGAIN. It's for a good cause tho. I just can't tell my husband. :)

6-01-2008 @ 9:46PM

Carrie said...

Apparently Tony's usual sarcasm was lost on you people.

6-01-2008 @ 10:23PM

Yes, his words were sarcastic when he said "anytime I get within 1/2 lap of Elliot Sadler it is my fault" but he seemed so happy when he said it.

Welcome back, Susan. I have missed your contributions. I hope all is well.

For those of us that have not been happy with the TV coverage you may want to brace yourselves. I believe that was the last Fox broadcast for the season and we will now be "treated to ESPN" and their total lack of knowledge on anything Nascar.

Art, you may have missed it but you did get some redemption on Saturday. During the Nationwide race they did comment that each week when Nascar has tested the engines Toyota had more HP than any other brand. They said that Nascar will not disclose how much HP that is and they questioned if anything was going to be done about it. So, it is either not enough in their opinion to make a difference or they are working on how to level the playing field.

It does make me wonder, aren't the crews supposed to make the cars go faster?
MBL

6-01-2008 @ 10:56PM

Sandee said...

My interest in the telecast lessens when they switch from Fox to ESPN because as someone said their lack of knowledge. I like Rusty Wallace but not as an announcer however Waltrip is informative and tells it like it is. As far as Tony Stewart goes I am not a fan though I think it is pretty great of him to host a charity race.

6-01-2008 @ 11:49PM

Lucy said...

I thought Nascar was switching to TBS not ESPN.

6-02-2008 @ 12:37AM

Don Emerson said...

This will be a fun season for Tony no matter the outcome or where he finishes. Basically he's just killing time until he leaves, thus the relaxation and good humor. Wait until he makes his move and the pressures begin to build. Then the Tony of old will sprong forth once more. This is the second time Sadler has wrecked Tony this year due to poor driving. I've never thought Sadler was much of a driver, and can't understand how he keeps his ride. You can add Dover to my list of boring tracks. Most races there are only a handful of drivers on the lead lap at the end, and the layout makes for boring racing. Works for me....

6-02-2008 @ 1:16AM

Peaches said...

Don what are you trying to say, that Tony is just riding out his Contract? For you know Tony is a Late (bloomer) he never starts winning until mid summer.I think within the nest couple of weeks Tony will win a race.

6-02-2008 @ 7:31AM

It was my understanding that Tony's contract runs until the end of 2009. That means he has another 1 1/2 years of coasting if you follow Don's theory. While Tony may have wanted to blame Elliot, the way I saw it, David Gilliland may have been to blame. The angle is a tough one to see but did Elliot come down or did David slide up?
Yes, we do have a stint of races on TNT before ESPN and ABC come forward with their complete lack of any clue on how to cover a race. Gee, I can't wait.
I was also happy to see JG finish number one among the Hendricks drivers for the fourth week in a row. He now has more top 5 finishes than any other Hendricks driver but still a big ZERO in the wins column. It is an indication that his team is heading in the right direction but like the others in Hendricks camp he is not closing the deal. His pit crew needs some work. The first pit under yellow he lost 4 places and the second he lost two. When it is hard to pass on the track, it sucks to be passed while getting your car serviced.
MBL

6-02-2008 @ 11:36AM

Ron said...

Your column starts off with the heading of a wreck on lap 19, yet the points only show a wreck at lap 16???...

6-02-2008 @ 9:06AM

Kim said...

Don, I actually agree with you. I think Tony is being so meek and mild because he is just riding the wave of the end of his stint at JGR. He is happier because he has something up his sleeve, folks. Mark my words, he will get out of the contract and be driving a Chevy for the 2009 season, rather as a member of Hendrick Motor Sports (which is my personal prediction) or as an owner/driver of his own team. You'll see. He's just playing nice right now because he has a little secret and isn't ready to share it yet. :-)

As far as Jeff Gordon, yes it was nice to see him race in the top five most of the day. Mike, I agree on the pit crew comments. What's up with that? Jimmie's pit crew hasn't been stellar as of late either. Those two teams need to get it together because clearly their drivers finally are.

And yes, our coverage now switches to TNT. Frankly, they SUCK equally with ESPN/ABC. I did read however that ABC/ESPN did listen to the numerous complaints they received last year regarding NASCAR coverage and made some changes, so hopefully this year will be better. Can't say the same for TNT. As I recall, they are the network that has the most commercials during NASCAR races. Last year, I was bored....and counted how many commercials they had during a race. It was ludicrous.

Kim

6-02-2008 @ 9:13AM

To be fair, I think JJ lost 6 places in one pit stop and that was not the pit he was penalized for. His penalty only further destroyed his chances at a top 5.
mike

6-02-2008 @ 11:18AM

Tony was trying to promote the PreludeTTD all weekend. It would have distracted from that event and the charity if Smoke had caused controversy. He had to behave and he knew it. He's still the Smoke that I know and love. He'll be back to his controversial ways soon enough!

I agree with Kim about Tony. He's leaving JGR this year IMO. I just hope that he doesn't become co-owner with Gene Haas. I wish that he would drive for Hendrick but I think it will be for Haas.

Mike - Thanks! Kenny Wallace and Jimmy Spencer thought it was Gilliland's bad judgement that caused the crash.

6-02-2008 @ 2:23PM

Having watched the race, I was going to write in and question the original headline when it said lap 17. It was repeated over and over again all thru the race that it happened on lap 19. I am not sure what stats you are quoting there Ron, but if you had watched the race, you would have heard it was in fact lap 19. While the big news was that it effected half the top 12 drivers in points for the year, if you check the running position of these guys at the time of the wreck you see that most of these guys were not anywhere near the front when it happened.

Cynthia, if you are reading this I am curious. You had stated your fav driver had one DNF this year and I had agreed I was thinking the same thing. I have checked the stats pages for the drivers standings and while it lists a DNF column it does not list your guy as having any. Which race is it you thought was a DNF? I distinctly remember this recent race and another in which he was in a crash that resulted in a red flag. But both of those times they were able to put the car back on the track. Which one was he not able to finish?

6-02-2008 @ 6:27PM

Brad said...

Mike, I think the wreck did happen on lap 17 for those involved, if you watch the the monitor on the video it was lap 17 but then changed to 18 because the leaders had crossed the start finish line again, they then red flagged it while the leaders were on their 19th lap.

Aloha, Brad

P.S. Congrats to JG, they are getting closer.

6-02-2008 @ 7:42PM

Interesting explaination on the lap count. I can see that they may have come around one time but there was a ton of carnage. I did see where Ron got the lap count of 16 on the results page.
Yes, I am somewhat stoked that JG is finishing in the top 5 these days but just like JR he is not closing the deal. KB continues to put up 10 points here and 10 points there in his chase lead and will keep doing it unless they disclose that the HP advantage toyota has is significant and Nascar makes an adjustment on that issue. I must admit, I am not knowledgable in the rules regarding the engine. I was under the impression they were pretty strict on the engine. The only reason I bring it up is that it did come up during the Nationwide race on Saturday that Nascar does a dyno test each week on the engines and Toyota engines put out more HP each and every time. The question I would have is "how much more?"
MBL

6-02-2008 @ 7:49PM

Cynthia said...

Wasn't it Las Vegas Mike? He may have fixed the car and got back out on the track....

Sorry I don't know more.....

6-02-2008 @ 8:46PM

Geoffrey Miller said...

I'll chime in on the lap issue.

On the replay, the wreck occurs on lap 17, and nearly instantly, Greg Biffle passed the start/finish line. The yellow flag came out as Greg Biffle was beginning lap 18. Biffle then officially took the caution at lap 19, although the yellow came=out during lap 18.

In other words, NASCAR officially recognizes a caution when the leader passes the start/finish line after the yellow flag is displayed. So, if Biffle was on lap 18, the caution came out, when he reached the start/finish line, he would officially take the yellow on lap 19.

So... NASCAR, in the box score, officially has the caution at Lap 19. I originally had the caution at lap 17 on the post, but changed it because I saw the box score.

As for Hamlin and Sadler being shown 16 laps complete, that's because they had officially completed 16 laps, and stopped midway through the 17th. They are therefore not given credit for 17 laps complete, though the wreck happened on lap 17.

Hope that clarifies it some. Thanks for reading, y'all.