NASCAR Rivals: Kenseth, Vickers vs. NASCAR Rulebook

It’s been tough to find a fan in America that wasn’t happy to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. FINALLY reach Victory Lane this past weekend at Michigan. While the majority of the NASCAR garage area was also happy to see the likeable Dale Junior get the win as well, some drivers brought into question the validity of it, particularly due to the fact that on several occassions during the final caution period he would pass the pace car by several car links, and then slide back behind it by shutting off the ignition in an effort to save fuel. This is something that many drivers did not believe to be a legal move per the NASCAR rulebook, including 3rd and 4th place finishers, Matt Kenseth and Brian Vickers.

Below is the post-race interview from Matt Kenseth (preceded by Kasey Kahne’s short press conference) in which he questions NASCAR’s decision. It should also be noted that Kenseth was equally – if not more – unhappy with NASCAR’s decision not to give him his spot back after a NASCAR official interfered with his pit stop on pit road.

Brian Vickers also commented on NASCAR not penalizing Earnhardt for passing the pace car, stating, “There were a lot of things that happened there at the end of the race that are big question marks in my mind, and passing the pace car under caution was just one of them. You’re also supposed to make it around the track unassisted. There were guys pushing each other on fuel mileage strategies. That’s not right. It’s definitely not legal, but they let it go.”

Vickers was also preturbed with the fact that they placed Mark Martin’s no. 8 car in front of him during the final caution period, on which he commented, “And, then obviously the call to put the 8 car back in front of us. I don’t know why that was, but it definitely cost us a shot at the race. And, it was blatantly, obviously wrong. It wasn’t like we were side by side, we were seven cars ahead of him two laps before the caution came out.”