Drivers mixed on proposed rule changes
Eliminating yellow-line, no-bumping rules could have an immediate impact
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The wing most likely will remain on the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars for at least the first few races in 2010. But two rules aimed specifically at restrictor-plate races could be eliminated before the season's first points event.
As a result, drivers might still see a change in the way they race during the final laps of the Daytona 500.
Officials are considering eliminating rules that limit contact (bumping) in the turns and passing while below the yellow line, rules which are specific to restrictor-plate competition at Daytona and Talladega tracks.
Some drivers blamed the yellow-line rule for the Carl Edwards-Brad Keselowski wreck at Talladega Superspeedway last April, where Edwards, while attempting to block Keselowski, was eventually hit by Ryan Newman and launched into the trioval catch fence.
"I don't know if my accident was a product of that," Edwards said during a break at the Sprint Sound & Speed event Saturday. "It was Brad Keselowski and I wanting to beat the other one."
While drivers here seemed in favor of eliminating the no-bumping zones, they were mixed on the yellow-line rule, which penalizes any driver who improves his position while below the yellow line or anyone who forces another driver below the line. The line has been actually two yellow lines to emphasize no passing.
"The yellow line was put there for good reason," team owner/driver Michael Waltrip said. "When you get to the end of the back straightaway, if you're under it, you got to make a right before you make a left.
"Here is what people don't understand. If the yellow line wasn't there, then the yellow line would simply become the grass. You're going to go somewhere, if you can. So go to the yellow line and quit there so that everybody can have a place to position themselves. We've proven we're perfectly capable of wiping each other out with the yellow line. Taking it away, what are we trying to accomplish?"
According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., it wouldn't have a big impact.
"It will be like going to a race about 10 years ago, I guess," the Hendrick Motorsports driver said. "They didn't have any of them rules then. We didn't see anything too crazy. I think I ... racing will look a lot similar as it does now.
"I don't think you're going to see anything different. Passing below the yellow line, which will be a little different, but that's fine. There's a lot of asphalt down there, so it should be fine."
Edwards said he, Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth and others have suggested that the yellow-line rule not be enforced when coming to the checkered flag.
"[Kenseth] said he thinks that yellow-line rule is a good rule for most of the race because it keeps people above that slowdown area, it gives people a lane to slow down if they have a problem," Edwards said. "Also you can't see through the cars. So I have a feeling that if we didn't have that yellow line rule, we'd be down in the grass an awful lot, even if we didn't mean to be.
"I think what we all kind of told [NASCAR] from Roush Fenway's driver side is the yellow-line deal is good, but I personally like, and I think my teammates like, when you can see the checkered flag, anything goes. That's kind of fun. We're already wrecking every time. We might as well get to shoot for the grass, go for it."
Richard Childress Racing's Clint Bowyer, who ended the 2007 Daytona 500 on his roof, doesn't want to see the yellow-line rule go away.
"At least the yellow line keeps everybody on the bank as you get into the transition of the corner," Bowyer said. "I think it's important. It's a good rule."
Keselowski added that the rule keeps wrecks from happening, and Richard Petty Motorsports' Elliott Sadler said even though the rule was implemented before the new car debuted in 2007, it is even more important with the current model.
"I agree with letting us race and let us bump-draft and let us do whatever we need to do to race," Sadler said. "I think the double yellow line, though, is there for a reason.
"I was able to race there before it was a double yellow line. When you get to Turn 1, Turn 3 and somebody is on the apron, the whole crowd has to move up to let him in. I don't see us doing that with this car. It's too hard to win and it's too hard to run good every week. I think we need to keep the double yellow line there because we'll have a lot of cars torn up before we make it to the end of the race."
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