NASCAR: It’s Officially Time To Eliminate the Overtime Line
By Alex Herbst
The NASCAR overtime line was already much maligned before the Brickyard 400 on Sunday. But now, stock car racing needs to eliminate it altogether.
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The NASCAR overtime line has been one of the hot button issues for the series to debate in the 2017 season. Many have felt that the line artificially allows stock car racing officials to end the race at their discretion, while defenders of the line find it to be a better alternative to the green-white-checkered rule. But after the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, NASCAR may need to eliminate it altogether in order to quell the growing firestorm.
Twitter was ablaze on Sunday night after NASCAR ended the 167-lap race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a suspicious manner. It appeared to onlookers that the officials held off throwing the caution flag until the leaders passed the overtime line.
The timing of the caution became a huge issue for many fans and observers, who felt NASCAR worked to end the race before having to call it due to the sunset. Here’s just a sampling of how Twitter responded:
Just watched replay. Man...cannot believe they held the yellow again. Honestly infuriating to see that. Trying
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 24, 2017
Crash again, did not make it to restart line. UNREAL
— Tom Jensen (@tomjensen100) July 24, 2017
That was possibly the worst race in NASCAR history.
— Ed Hardin (@Ed_Hardin) July 24, 2017
Here's your unlimited OT. Enjoy.#somuchfun
— Jim Utter (@jim_utter) July 24, 2017
NASCAR Officiating:
— Elijah Burke (@ElijahWhosoever) July 24, 2017
"They're wrecking, throw the yellow"
"But I have money on Kasey Kahne"
"Fine, wait until they cross the OT line"
NASCAR may have been excited to see a thrilling race that remained on broadcast television and saw a new winner in 2017, but they had quite the firestorm to handle. NASCAR Vice President Steve O’Donnell was the man who had to handle the situation, and his comments did little to quell the concerns of NASCAR fans:
"We’ve said every single time we’ve raced is we will make every attempt possible to finish under green. We did that. Once we realized there was the need to bring on safety vehicles and the track was oiled down, we threw the caution."
The statement made by the man in charge of NASCAR’s competition level did not say enough to prevent fans from jumping to the conclusion that the ending was fixed. While the race may not have been restarted due to quickly approaching darkness, many fans and patrons would be more pleased. However, that opportunity was not afforded to them.
What can NASCAR do from here? The simplest solution would be to eliminate the overtime line rule starting in 2018. While the rules cannot be changed in the middle of the season, the return of the green-white-checkered finishes would likely be welcomed by most fans alike. Considering that the problems that existed before the overtime line remain, the GWC may be NASCAR’s best bet.
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What did you think of the finish to Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at IMS? Did the field reach the overtime line before the caution flag should have waved? Do you think it is time to eliminate the overtime line rule for good? Comment with your thoughts below and see if the line comes into play again next week at Pocono Raceway.