[media-credit name=”Credit: By John Harrelson, Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”245″]
[/media-credit]Watching the last two laps of the Finger Lakes 355 at The Glen unfold live left many holding their breath, sitting on the edge of their seats and wondering what just happened. There were wrecks, grass flying, taking and giving of the lead before one car came out unscathed at the finish line.
But upon various replays and testimony, the last two laps were anything but classic. It never should have unfolded that way. Kyle Busch was headed toward his second win of the season, first since May, and what would have been a much-needed good run. Instead his race ended like many have in the last two months, not at the front.
Coming to the white flag Busch started yelling on his radio that there was oil all over the track. He started sliding, fighting to keep his No. 18 M&M’s Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing on track. Behind him as the battle for second heated up between Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose, they too reported the track was covered in oil. They too started to slide around.
Busch never made it to the inner loop, sliding through the oil going through the ‘S’ turns he was hit by Keselowski and spun. He would, however, manage a seventh place finish. Don’t count on it being a silver lining as fights to make the Chase and sits outside of a Wild Card position. He needed Sunday’s win. Instead he leaves 14th in points heading to Michigan next weekend.
Afterwards as he left the track he said, “I have nothing good to say.” It was all the comment he would provide about the dramatic turn of events.
But others were saying plenty. Between the choruses of cheers and applause for what will go down as one of the best laps of racing at Watkins Glen, and perhaps the season, there were a few unhappy campers. Labonte had left plenty of oil on the track that it quickly became undrivable, however no caution was called.
Keselowski and Ambrose raced back for the finish. Swapping the lead, running off the track, sliding through the corners. It all looked good and fun, but inside the cars it was gut wrenching, muscle tightening, just trying to hang on and making it back in one piece.
As the two slide off turn six and headed for turn seven, either one could have won the race. Ambrose was able to turn his No. 9 Stanley Ford from Richard Petty Motorsports a little better to the right than Keselowski, who went sliding toward the wall in his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske Racing.
Keselowski finished second, loving every minute of what just took place. It wasn’t a win but it was what he called great, hard racing. To him, all was right in the world.
“Just fun. We leaned on each other, we bumped each other,” said Keselowski afterwards. “We were both cool about it and didn’t dump each other. This is what I think racing in NASCAR is supposed to be, hard-nosed, going for the win, bumping and rubbing without any of that intentional wrecking nonsense. Marcos gets that. I enjoy racing with him.”
Keselowski believes that because of events that occurred on Sunday, it’s why NASCAR has become so popular. Hard to disagree, everyone loves a great finish. No one will forget the 1979 Daytona 500, or Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch at Darlington. Or the finish of the 2007 Daytona 500 between Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin as the field wrecked behind them.
And just like that Daytona 500, the debate will rage about why there was no caution. With cars sliding all over the track, some spinning out and Busch going from a three second lead to being spun out while in the lead, NASCAR officials let the race proceed.
At the time, it seemed ridiculous as it unfolded. Clearly the track was comprised, numerous drivers, including Keselowski and Ambrose, claiming that it became undrivable. But no caution was displayed. And considering that Labonte had laid down the oil before the white flag, the race wouldn’t have ended under yellow conditions.
There would have and should have been a restart. Either way, the fans would have gotten an exciting finish. Maybe the same kind of excitement that unfolded on Sunday, just with different circumstances and with track conditions that were ideal.
Ambrose, who called the ending chaos, admitted the track was covered in oil and initially thought he had blown up. Yet, he still said that NASCAR made the right decision to let the race play out.
“Big shout out to NASCAR, a lot of people saying should they have thrown a caution or not,” Ambrose said after the win. “No one wants to see these races finish under caution, bunched back up in these two-by-twos, make it a random finish.
“We had the three fastest cars duking it out for the win. That’s the way it should be and I think they made the right call.”
His statement will see mixed reviews. Double file restarts have often created exciting racing, Sunday playing its part. Off the race’s four caution periods, the restarts saw drivers taking advantage of the field being bunched up. That included Busch, who took the lead by going from third to first heading into turn one, having made it three wide.
But perhaps with all the cheering and breath holding that was going on, whether there should have been a caution and if the oiled mattered, will fall into the background. It was an exciting finish, which seems to be important to everyone. That it for what it was worth and hope for another one next weekend.
NASCAR, who have always found themselves in a “damned if we do, damned if we don’t” situation, did so again Sunday. But managing director of competition and Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said corner workers did not see oil on the track and he personally didn’t think it was that bad.
Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition, also told reporters at the track that they didn’t feel there was oil on the track. Had there been, they would have had to make the decision about a caution.
NASCAR had gotten reports of Labonte trailing smoke, not leaking oil. Therefore, no caution.
Additionally said Pemberton, “We didn’t get a confirmed report that there was oil on the track.”
If they couldn’t see oil on the track pretty much vindicates the #48 earlier this year. Obviously they are blind as bats.