LFL: Regan Smith Won 'Dega, Says Dale Jr.

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FanHouse's Geoffrey Miller is at the track in Concord, N.C. for Saturday night's Bank of America 500 in full fan mode. He's hoping to avoid Kevin Harvick's motor coach driver from his location in the Ford Grandstand, Section I.

Regan Smith may drive for the race team that Dale Earnhardt Jr. left in 2007, but that didn't keep the now-Hendrick Motorsports driver from taking Smith's side after last week's controversial finish at Talladega Superspeedway.

Smith, a rookie in the Sprint Cup series, was denied his first-career win after NASCAR declared his last-lap pass underneath Tony Stewart illegal and gave Stewart the win despite getting beat by Smith to the finish line.

I was thoroughly against the ruling, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his support of Smith clear and questioned NASCAR's judgment on Friday at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"In my opinion, the 01 (Smith) was forced below the line," Earnhardt Jr. said on Friday at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"The two did make contact – (Smith) was on the inside of Tony and he had no choice other than to move away from Tony and that sends him below the line and in my opinion, the 01 wins the race. I feel like Tony did what he had to do. In the car, everyone would have done what Tony did, everyone would have done what the 01 did. Neither one of them were wrong or right.

"What's curious is when are you forced? Show me some video. I want to know what's forced and what's not. I felt like that was being forced."

And can you argue with Earnhardt Jr.? His statement further exemplifies how confused drivers were on NASCAR's rule, and how they remain to be confused now even after NASCAR tried to clarify the rule this week.

Earnhardt Jr. especially took exception to the now-apparent policy of NASCAR saying that Smith should have either backed off and not gone for the win or tried to wreck Stewart.

"[Smith] can't sit there and hold his line," said Earnhardt Jr., who left DEI at the end of 2007 to compete for Hendrick Motorsports. "He's going to wreck Tony and probably wreck himself. That's ridiculous to expect someone to be that bull-headed about a situation like that and put everybody in jeopardy just to not be accused of passing below the line."

Ridiculous it is, Mr. Earnhardt.

A black and white playbook isn't a possibility in NASCAR, but something with much less gray with the current one is very possible.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

10-11-2008 @ 10:35PM

Snarky said...

What choice does Jr have?
MBL

10-12-2008 @ 1:06AM

annaseitter said...

junior is wrong because he says,himself was favored by nascar
that did not black flag himself but they did it to regan smith for the same type of pass. well dej in another world, you could be right, but in this world you are forgetting that the name REAGAN SMITH is not the same name as DALE EARNHARDT.
So be glad ya have such a lastname and shut up.
Works for me....

10-12-2008 @ 2:26AM

OK, THE BANK OF CHINA 500 AT CONCORD IS OVER:
JJ keeps the points lead but looses some advantaged points.
The car was loose at the end.
Kylie bush makes a noticeable come back winning the nationwide yesterday and finished 4th today, but the championship hopes for him have been gone since chase 1.
The beef HANGS there with a small loos of points too that drops him from 2nd to 4th.
Carlie Hatewards is just about out of championship contendion
why? because the usual eternal fords electrical problems which makes fords vehicles Found On Road Dead== FORD.
STEWART, just last week he got my hopes high again but now i'm beginning to just about have enough of his wasted chances and mistakes.He pissed me off tonight loosing a win or a top 5
for accessing pit road over 50mph and get black flagged. Real stupid, real careless, real waste!
Dale junior:16 races now 2top5 ,2top10 , 12 fiascos. His championship chances have been gone since DOVER race;
no sweat there, no big loss, just 1 more bad ending. Never too late for Tony Fury to take a hike. OK, it was the tire cut and flatning fault tonight not fury; so what?
JEFF GODON : it's never too late too send steve letargy to work for the dutch farms around dutch and amish country in and around lancaster pa.He would do a much better job there.
GOD ON was leading for a while tonight and finally seemed he was going to get his 1st win ubtil dutchboy calls him to spit row
for tires under the green flag and noone else came in.
JEFF BOURBON, THE BIGGEST GAIN AND SUCCESS TONIGHT. Not 1 of my drivers but GO BOURBON (kentucky)
or scottish.both great.
Harfrick, never thought hardbrick had any chance at the champ , but if he did he sure lost them tonight.
That's the concord race summary; case closed, i'm disgusted.
does not work for me...

10-12-2008 @ 1:11PM

Jack Hall said...

Too damn many rules. Let these guys race. No below the line rule on the last two laps.

10-13-2008 @ 5:45AM

good idea jack hall ; hope nazcar listens.

10-13-2008 @ 9:43AM

Kim said...

Once again, I must respectfully disagree with Jr. here. NASCAR was very clear in their pre-race driver meeting as well as in their media statement when they said, "Any driver passing under the yellow line and advancing a position, WILL be black flagged." Just because it was the final lap, makes no difference. The rule was stated, the rule was violated, period! It doesn't matter who the driver is or was.

NASCAR has been very consistent this season with the no passing and advancing positions under the yellow line rule this year. Jr. is one of those drivers who should know that. He was black flagged and sent to the back of the line a few races ago for passing under the yellow on a restart. NASCAR may have been inconsistent with this rule in the past, but they have not been this season. Case once again, should be closed! Tony Stewart was and is the race winner as he should be!

Kim

10-22-2008 @ 7:40PM

Brad said...

Damn, Nascar was so clear that several drivers stated they thought is was ok to go below the yellow with the flag man in sight on the last lap. Nascar and it's judgement call that Smith wan't forced below the yellow was pathetic, especially the " He could have lifted " part,,,,,,isn't this RACING. Why is this rule only active at 2 tracks? They asked Jr. his opinion about what happened and he answered, why does he need to shut up? Sorry but Jr. wasn't black flagged on a restart it was the Start of the Bristol race, what he did isn't breaking a rule on a restart only the start of a race. And the only thing consistent about Nascar is that once they make a decision....it doesn't change under an appeal ( Except R. Gordon decision ) no matter what our, or the drivers or owners opinions might be.

Aloha

P.S. Been gone for 2 weeks hunting Elk and Mule deer in Colorado and had a great trip. And Anna, Jr. doesn't need to shut up, he and others need to SPEAK UP.

10-22-2008 @ 11:35PM

Whatever did we do before NASCAR had all of these rules??
When my Dad raced dirt track back in the 60's, it was"race" or get out of my way!
Why can't we just let em race?
Ask the fans opinion. They are the ones paying your salary NASCAR...

10-22-2008 @ 11:52PM

BREAD, I SAYED: Junior needed to shut up on that particular nazcar call at talladega,. That's what i meant. And by the way what i'm talking about by junior being favored by nazcar(no favors at all in reality) happened in DAYTONA AND NOT BRISTOL. JUNIOR PASSED BELOW THE YELLOW LINE ,just like SMITH did and was not black flagged or else.
I have been a preacher repeatedly of: we need 10 more tony stewarts out there blasting on NAZCAR CRAP OF ALL KINDS.
WHY suddenly i would want junior or any driver to shut up period? WHY?
For the record: in another similar situation at talladega, that time JUNIOR WAS BLACK FLAGGED also 2003-2004; can remember exactly.
GOES TO SHOW NASCAR FLIP FLOPPING like JOHN CARRIE.

10-23-2008 @ 12:12AM

ALOHAS BRAD, are ya here to stay this time or just passing by again? Too many regular missing lately and MIKE is the latest one.Maybe he has joined PALIN/mcCANE on the traveling campain and selling houses on the go. lol.

10-23-2008 @ 9:06AM

Anna,

Mike is on one of his mancations in North Carolina, sunning himself on the beach. I talked to him yesterday. He is having a good time and will be back in full fiesty form in a week or so. Hope that helps. :-)

Kim

10-23-2008 @ 2:34PM

YES THANKS FOR THE INFO KIM, I was wondering what happen to him and there he is sunning at virginia beach again.
Gee, they sure find the time to vacation every couple months.
I live few hundreds of feet from the beach and hardly find the time to go,but i thank you the SHARKS AND RIP CURRENTS
for that too.They must not want people to invade their habitat.
lol.works for me... at tines only.