# Should NASCAR have called the yellow flag sooner? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893 "2007-02-20T01:04:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/21 "2007-02-20T18:19:02Z")
I got to see this. Normally, I don’t watch NASCAR, but this ending, I got to see. Anyone got good still shots? ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/22 "2007-02-20T18:38:32Z")
side question not worthy of a new thread- so let’s say the driver who leading in the 197th lap had a lead of 10 seconds on all other drivers. Why does he not get that same 10 second lead at the restart? Like if there were a big fight in an NBA game, they don’t reset the score to 0-0 when they continue play. It doesn’t seem fair to penalize a guy for a wreck. Or am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/23 "2007-02-20T18:39:21Z")
[QUOTE=flex727] The exact moment the caution flag comes out determines the winner of the race. [/quote] Not quite true. By waiting a few seconds, the flag had no impact on the winner of the race, the winner was the person getting to the finish line first. Which is the way it should be. I’m not a NASCAR fan, but I was watching the race, and when the wreck happened, I said to myself “Don’t throw the flag! Let 'em race!” Great race, great finish. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/24 "2007-02-20T18:49:09Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] Normally, I don’t watch NASCAR, but this ending, I got to see. [/QUOTE] Ditto. Photos? Video clips? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/25 "2007-02-20T18:53:40Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] Anyone got good still shots? [/QUOTE] [Here’s](http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=us-en&FC2=/us-en/html/iwgen/leftnavs/zzz_lhn8_0_0.html&FC3=/us-en/html/iwgen/society_environment/sports/shell_nascar/audio_visual/photos/daytona/daytona07.html) some from one of the sponsors. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/26 "2007-02-20T22:38:30Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] Ditto. Photos? Video clips? [/QUOTE] [Here ya go!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngu95gKL_1s) ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/27 "2007-02-20T22:42:59Z")
I should add, at about 4:15 in the above video is a close up of Bowyer’s upside down finish. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/28 "2007-02-20T22:53:40Z")
[QUOTE=MadTheSwine] Does that count as a finish? Can you get out and push your car to the finish if need be? [/QUOTE] It counts. Bowyer slid across the line in 18th place, and that’s his race result. As to the pushing question: I don’t know. I’m going to WAG that it wouldn’t be allowed given that it would be a monumentally dangerous thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/29 "2007-02-21T01:15:47Z")
[QUOTE=KGS] That’s when NASCAR created the “insta-caution” rule. At first, the running order was determined by the car’s positions on the previous lap, but now with GPS receivers in each car, they’re able to “freeze the field” using each car’s exact position at the precise instance of the caution. [/QUOTE] Not exactly instantly. I have heard the announcers say several times that there are scoring “loops” all around the track (checkpoints if you will) and when the caution comes out they take the readings from the last checkpoint that was crossed. So there is still some gray area. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/30 "2007-02-21T01:29:09Z")
[QUOTE=Scruloose] It counts. Bowyer slid across the line in 18th place, and that’s his race result. As to the pushing question: I don’t know. I’m going to WAG that it wouldn’t be allowed given that it would be a monumentally dangerous thing to do. [/QUOTE] Crew members are not allowed to touch the car outside of the designated pit area, so no, they couldn’t push the car (and it takes more than one guy to push a 3,400-pound car.) I’ve always maintained that the caution should not fly on the last lap unless the wreck is in front of the leaders, so I think the right call was made. ---
**Author:** ![Capa84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8edcca/32.png) [@Capa84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capa84)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/31 "2007-02-21T01:37:47Z")
This happened in the Indy 500 a few years ago- wreck on final lap, IRL freezes the field, first two cars are nose to nose. One guy claims he was ahead and let up when yellow came out, other guy claims he was, IRL has to go to the transponders in the cars to determine who was ahead and when. Further confusing things was the fact that IRL cars have a yellow light on the steering wheel, and I believe one driver claimed THAT light came on, but the track yellows were a second or two later. My opinion is that from a fan’s point of view, it’s best to let the leaders race back, but from a safety point of view, it’s the wrong call. If the field is frozen at the first sign of trouble, it’s like that EVERY time, not just when NASCAR is staring at an exciting finish. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893/32 "2007-02-21T22:40:00Z")
[QUOTE=Scruloose] It counts. Bowyer slid across the line in 18th place, and that’s his race result. As to the pushing question: I don’t know. I’m going to WAG that it wouldn’t be allowed given that it would be a monumentally dangerous thing to do. [/QUOTE] And sliding across the finish line upside down and on fire isn’t? 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-nascar-have-called-the-yellow-flag-sooner/392893.md?page=1)