CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Column by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images for NASCAR photo —
Th-Th-Th-Th-Th- … That’s all, folks!
The CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, as of 10 a.m. yesterday morning, officially went into the history books and the eight drivers advancing to the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup were reaffirmed when NASCAR officials released a statement saying that no penalties would be issued in the wake of one of the most controversial finishes in recent memory.
Yes, Kevin Harvick’s motor was going south and he probably shouldn’t have even been in a position to advance at the end of Sunday’s race. Yes, Harvick clipped Trevor Bayne and sent him spinning into the pack, triggering a massive crash at the start-finish line that allowed the reigning Cup champion to sneak through the melee, finish 15th and advance to round three.
Yes, there was some questionable radio chatter between Harvick and crew chief Rodney Childers that raised the eyebrows of fans and competitors alike after the race. And yes, those fans and drivers spoke very loudly after the fact, leading NASCAR to take another look at all the evidence from Sunday’s marathon affair.
But at the end of it all, no, nothing actually changed in the grand scheme of the Chase picture after the fact.
As far as I’m concerned, NASCAR’s message here is simple: Could there have been intent? It’s always possible, but we didn’t find anything to prove that there was any. Therefore, it’s time to move forward.
And whether you agree with the call or not, that’s exactly what has to happen this weekend.
Now, listen, I’ll be the first to admit I was among those questioning if it was, in fact, possible that Kevin Harvick could have knowingly intended to cause the final crash because it was the only way he had a ghost of a chance of keeping his title hopes alive. But at the end of the day, I’ve watched Kevin Harvick race since he entered into the Cup ranks in 2001.
I’ve seen him get fiery, but I’ve also seen him grow into the champion that hoisted the Sprint Cup last November — and to get to that level, a driver has to build as much of a sense of integrity for his own driving as he holds for the competitors he races against.
There’s always a possibility that Harvick did knowingly cause that crash. But we, the fans and onlookers, are not him. We’re not inside his head, and therefore we’ll never know the answer to those inquiries.
And honestly, if ‘Happy’ did what he did to keep his title hopes alive, how is it any different than Ryan Newman running Kyle Larson into the wall to advance to Homestead-Miami last year by a single point? How is the philosophy behind a split-second decision at Talladega any different than Matt Kenseth’s furious blocking of Joey Logano at Kansas two weeks ago in an attempt to win and advance?
I’ll say this here, just like I’ve told several people before when I’ve been asked about the subject — this is the new philosophy of the Chase.
NASCAR created this beast in hopes of finding more “Game Seven” moments; looking to bring out the passion of drivers with their backs against the wall and hoping to make winning not just important, but the only way to ensure success on the road to a championship.
Well, they’ve gotten that, no doubt about it.
People have started asking if this system has gotten out of hand, if “Boys, have at it” has stepped up to another level since the introduction of this Chase format. I would say that is a fair statement. It brings out the best and worst in drivers, when you talk about winning — or one position — as being the difference in your season being over or continuing down the title trail. It causes drivers to make moves that they might not normally make under regular season circumstances.
And NASCAR has allowed them to do so.
I can’t say for sure yet whether I personally like or agree with the precedent that is being set here, but I do know this: Whatever your opinion may be about the new level of intensity that surrounds the Sprint Cup playoffs, they’re here to stay.
So with that being said, now it’s time to move on to Martinsville (NASCAR’s smallest track) this weekend — where there will likely be as much chaos, emotion and frustration as there was this past Sunday at Talladega (NASCAR’s largest track). Some fans may not want to let the CampingWorld.com 500 rest, and some fans may not ever want to hear about it again.
But quite simply, two things in NASCAR are certain as of last Sunday (and whether or not the last lap crash was intentional is not one of them).
- Kevin Harvick accomplished what he needed to in order to advance in his quest for a repeat title.
- And Talladega, as of Tuesday morning’s statement and final results publication, is officially ancient history.
Love it, like it, or hate it.
The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Race Chaser Online, Speed77 Radio, the Performance Motorsports Network, their sponsors or other contributors.
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 21-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: news@racechaseronline.com
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