DESPAIN: Ensure A Win Is A Win

If there’s a question whether the winner earned the victory fair and square, simply announce that the finish is under review...

Dave Despain | Posted August 03, 2010 Charlotte, NC

Dave Despain, the popular host of Wind Tunnel on SPEED. (Image: SPEED)

On recent consecutive weekends, NASCAR and IndyCar provided two very different answers to the same question: Should a driver who misbehaves en route to victory keep the win?

In a NASCAR Nationwide race, coming to the checkers and in retaliation for being bumped earlier in the last lap, Carl Edwards intentionally turned Brad Keselowski head-on into the wall, triggering a huge multi-car crash. NASCAR gave Edwards the checker and sent him to victory lane, but five days later penalized him money and points for precisely the rough driving behavior that won him the race.

The following Sunday, IndyCar race leader Helio Castroneves was black-flagged for late-race “blocking.” He refused to stop and took the checker but officials quickly handed him a 20-second time penalty and declared apparent runner-up Scott Dixon the winner. These incidents focus attention on the process by which such calls are made.

NASCAR is known for never taking away a win. If there’s a problem, they sort it out the following Tuesday. They are consistent in this policy, except when they’re not. (Keywords: Joey Logano, Irwindale Speedway, 2009; Regan Smith, Talladega Superspeedway, 2008; Ricky Rudd, Sears Point Raceway, 1991.) On the other hand, Indy car racing holds the all-time record for dithering over a finish. It took nearly five months of appeals and court battles to determine that Bobby Unser really did win the ‘81 Indy 500.

I think big league racing should adopt this simple policy regarding last lap controversy. If there’s a question whether the winner earned his victory fair and square, simply announce to grandstand fans and the television audience that the finish is under review. That process should last no more than five minutes – plenty of time to study the video, consult the rulebook and put official heads together. If all’s well, let the celebration begin. If the apparent winner is judged guilty of ill-gotten gains, send the runner-up to Victory Lane.

I’ll always prefer that such calls be made correctly rather than quickly. But in this day and age, there’s no reason they can’t be both.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dave Despain

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR

VIDEO: James Hinchcliffe Talks IndyCar On Wind Tunnel
Dave Despain talks to Andretti Autosport IZOD IndyCar driver James…
Wind Tunnel With Dave Despain Q & A
The state of racing is examined by Wind Tunnel host Dave Despain..…
DESPAIN: My Take On Danicamania
Danica Patrick needs to prove she can deliver on track...