Steve520 wrote:
DebL wrote:
I've wondered about the call for the black flag for Keith Rocco at the end of the Bud Nats. They showed him the flag lap after lap. His number was even put up on the board and he never pulled off. Even got a seventh place finish.
I can clear this one up. I was over in the Mod pits when this happened. Keith had been lightly involved in an incident, pitted, and returned to the track. Someone called on the radio that his rear nerfbar was missing. He was then shown the black flag for that bar. The crew insisted it was there. It was hard to verify visually(black car, black bar, night time) by the officials or infield crew. While everyone was trying to sort it out, of course the flagman continues to show the black flag. The call was made that the track would not go yellow to confirm(why stop the race if it was a mistake), the black flag would be withdrawn, the 57 could continue, BUT, if at the conclusion(or during the next yellow) it was confirmed that he did not in fact have a nerf on that corner, he would be relegated to a last place finish. Guess what?, the bar was there and hooked up. Done deal and a 7th place.
So many people were confused on what just happened.
The reason for the black flag was a safety concern.
They cut a deal on a black flag. Something we are told we can't do.
They threw the safety concern out the window and allowed the race to go on.
If the officials are not 100% sure on the call they are making to black flag someone, they should hold the flag until they are. It stops all this type of confused fans and teams.
We are told calls are judgement calls and final.
Sometimes the answers are worse then the problems. This type of stuff need to be cleaned up.