This could be NASCAR's finest hour. The only problem is, it never should have happened at all.
The Green-White-Checkers Rule
In 2003 NASCAR announced that cars would no longer be allowed to race back to the line when the yellow flag is displayed. This safety measure prevents cars from continuing at race speeds when the track may be unsafe. It also allows safety workers to get to the scene of a crash sooner.
Then, in 2004 NASCAR implemented the green-white-checkers rule in order to get more races to end under green flag conditions. NASCAR makes one attempt to restart the race. If the caution comes out again during those final two laps, then the field is frozen and the race is over.
NASCAR has seen this scenario play out a few times including just last year in the 2006 Daytona 500. On a green-white-checkers finish Ryan Newman had just jumped to the outside of Jimmie Johnson to challenge for the win in turn four of the final lap when Greg Biffle wrecked behind them in turn three. NASCAR immediately threw the yellow and Jimmie Johnson won the race.
That is just one example among many where the drivers were not allowed to race back when an incident happened on the last lap.
