Saturday's double-file restart under fire

Sunday, Jul. 12, 2009

JOLIET, Ill. -- NASCAR’s new double-file restart has been in place for seven weeks and it’s already had a direct result on the outcome of a race.

Which means it’s also coming under fire from several drivers.

Jeff Burton probably said it best for the detractors: "I know it’s exciting for fans. But I’m tired of it. I’m about done with it."

Burton wasn’t around at the end of Saturday’s LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. He was swept out of the race after being involved in a wreck with three other cars that were still bunched together after a restart three laps earlier.

It wasn’t until later in the race -- eventually won by Mark Martin – that the possibilities that come with a double-file restart were fully explored by Denny Hamlin.

After David Reutimann hit the wall Lap 246, Hamlin was running fourth and in the second row when the race restarted.

Hamlin charged through after the green flag flew, sticking his Toyota between leader Jimmie Johnson and Brian Vickers. The bump knocked Johnson out of the way and Hamlin and Vickers were left to race for the lead.

"That’s double-file restarts for you right there," Hamlin said. "That’s what the fans come to see."

But all the contact had been enough for Martin to squeeze past Hamlin and Vickers for the lead, one he maintained through the end of the race. Johnson ended up colliding with Kurt Busch, putting them both out of contention.

"Everybody just started running into each other and it’s just stupid," said Busch’s crew chief, Pat Tryson. “That’s what everybody wants to see and they got what they wanted."

Said Busch, whose brother Kyle left last week’s race at Daytona in an ill mood after he and Tony Stewart tangled on the final lap: “I’m pretty livid right now.” The new rule was adopted before June’s race in Dover, as one way NASCAR hoped to inject more excitement and energy into the sport.

And although the new rule does seem to invite mayhem – the cars are bunched together side-by-side, rather than in a long, single-file column – matters have been exacerbated by adrenaline and testosterone.

"I think one guy makes one guy mad and it causes a reaction from that guy," said Kasey Kahne, who finished third. "Then they get into another car. Then another guy is smoking another guy sideways. Next thing you know, you have 10 guys that are fuming.”

Being able to extract some of the emotion – and middle-school drama – out of the restarts, however, can result in some exciting racing.

"I think there are more pluses than minuses with them," said Martin, who, at 50, is more than twice as old as several drivers on the circuit. "I’ve come out better with them.

"But what’s exciting is to take a guy who probably earned his spot and mess him up. That’s kind of what it is, isn’t it?

"Tonight, somebody took the car that looked like it was going to win (Johnson’s) and took him out."

It’s the fans, though, who the rule was made for. At least one driver realized the importance of that.

"Man, that was exciting at the end," said Carl Edward. "Holy smokes. The fans got their money’s worth."

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