Xfinity: Regan Smith’s Last-Lap Pass Was A Clean Move

One week ago, it was discussed on BeyondTheFlag.com whether or not Regan Smith was right to take Ty Dillon to task regarding an incident at Watkins Glen where Smith ended up backwards in a cloud of smoke. The overwhelming majority agreed that yes, Smith was right to be angry at Dillon, and yes, Dillon was in the wrong.

One week is all it takes for opinions to turn. On the last corner of the last lap at the Xfinity event at Mid-Ohio, with a little magic from his bumper Smith managed to move pole-sitter Alex Tagliani to the side and managed to win his first race since February 2014 at Daytona.

Although the win was popular for some as Smith is a popular figure in the Xfinity Series, Twitter was absolutely torn over the matter. For example, Verizon IndyCar point leader Juan Pablo Montoya wasn’t impressed:

Tony Kanaan, another open-wheel star, felt the same way:

Meanwhile, several in the NASCAR contingent felt that Smith acted accordingly with his move on the No. 22.

The debate is there on whether or not Smith acted like a hypocrite in comparison to last week’s events at Watkins Glen. There are those who feel that he got mad at Dillon for one thing while doing the same thing for the win at Mid-Ohio. Was he in the wrong again?

Not in the slightest.

Bumping someone isn’t the same as going into a corner too aggressively and flat out dumping someone. Regarding the incident at Watkins Glen, Dillon was racing too hard too early and as a result dumped the No. 7. He had no reason to drive that hard at that point in time. He had a good car and with a little bit of patience and attrition (there was plenty of that late in the race) he could’ve been in a good position to capitalize on someone else’s misfortune. Instead, he was bull-headed and took out Smith.

In the video you see Dillon’s No. 3 dive-bombing into the first turn well before everyone else, well before Paul Menard and Smith take the turn. That was what angered Smith and several others. What happened at Mid-Ohio was something totally different. Tagliani held Smith up into the last corner hoping that Smith would take the outside. Instead, Smith took the preferred route, used his bumper, and moved him.

It wasn’t an aggressive move, a stupid move, or a cheap move. It was a calculated move that winning drivers usually make when the situation arises. Fans would be hard-pressed to find a driver who never made that move at least once in their careers. It was textbook NASCAR winning.

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It’s understood that road racers and open-wheel drivers would be mad. Tagliani is one of them. He made his name among those ranks and try as he might he’ll never be considered a stock car driver. But they’ll never understand how bad NASCAR drivers want that win. If they can, and plenty of opportunities arise, they will put the bumper to whoever they need to to earn that win.

Smith did nothing wrong. He saw an opportunity and he took it. There is no rule against doing what he did. Rather, he acted like a veteran driver who did what he had to do. That’s something that any racer on any level would understand.

Weigh in below on whether or not Regan Smith acted accordingly or if he was acting like a hypocrite.