Indy and Charlotte followed the same basic script

(By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service)

Posted: Tuesday,May 31st, 2011

This just in: The Indianapolis 500 is suing the Coca-Cola 600 for copyright infringement.

Seldom have two races—run on the same day, no less—followed the same basic script as closely as these two marquee events did on Sunday.

First, and most obvious, both races were decided in the final corner, with the presumed winner failing to make it to the finish line under full power. At Indy, rookie JR Hildebrand made a rookie mistake when he went high in Turn 4 to overtake a back marker. Hildebrand lost control in the marbles—tire debris in the high groove—and slammed the wall. His crippled car slid across the finish line in second place.

At Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel as he rolled through Turn 4 on the second lap of a green-white-checkered-flag finish. Fans were on their feet in the grandstands, screaming and waving as Earnhardt took the white flag signaling one lap to go. Within a half-mile of ending a 104-race winless streak, Earnhardt felt his engine sputter.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the #29 Budweiser Armed Forces Tribute Chevrolet, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29, 2011 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)

He rolled across the stripe in seventh place, after Kevin Harvick sped by to take the checkered flag.

Both events were fuel-mileage races, and both featured the darlings of their respective disciplines—Danica Patrick and Earnhardt—leading but short on fuel in the late going. Patrick led 10 laps before Bertrand Baguette passed her on Lap 189 of 200. Subsequently, she brought her car to pit road for fuel and finished 10th.

Earnhardt had enough fuel for 602 miles, but not for 603. The green-white-checkered-flag finish added two laps to the scheduled 400 and produced the longest race in NASCAR history.

At Indianapolis and Charlotte, a car sporting National Guard colors came within an eyelash visiting victory lane on Memorial Day weekend. Hildebrand and Earnhardt were driving cars with primary sponsorship from the National Guard.

Given the attention paid to the armed forces at both racetracks—including a full-blown “invasion” of the tri-oval by camouflage-clad soldiers at Charlotte—perhaps U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) should rethink her efforts to bar the military from marketing itself through motorsports sponsorships.

No yellow …

As soon as NASCAR failed to throw a caution for a stack-up in Turn 1 on the first lap of the green-white-checkered, there was dissenting opinion among the media. Jeff Burton slid out of control toward the infield, but there was no yellow.

Historically, though, NASCAR has been reluctant to pull the trigger on cautions with two laps left in a race, particularly in a restart situation where the field is grouped in one area of the track. The hope is that the event can be decided under green if the corner clears before the cars return.

That’s what happened Sunday. Burton regained control and drove away, leaving the track clear by the time Earnhardt took the white flag. Conspiracy theorists have to answer why, If NASCAR were so intent on stacking the deck in Earnhardt’s favor, why didn’t the sanctioning body simply throw the yellow as soon as Earnhardt took the white?

That would have frozen the field and given Earnhardt the chance to nurse his car around to the checkers under caution.

… but plenty of blue

Blue language, that is, from crew chief Chad Knaus, who dropped an F-bomb on national TV after Fox cut to his team radio. When Jimmie Johnson’s engine blew with four laps left, the first words out of Knaus’ mouth were “Are you (expletive) kidding me?”

In a Twitter posting Monday morning, Johnson said, “If @nascar does fine Knaus, I will pay it for him.”

Though NASCAR has fined competitors for swearing in broadcast interviews, chatter on team radios has been exempt, even if the offensive language makes it to the airwaves. The bottom line is that Johnson won’t have to lighten his wallet to help his crew chief.

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