More than 1 hour after the checkered flag fell on the Pepsi Full Fendered Frenzy 75, PASS official Scott Reed said that the finish was being closely examined. Asked if that meant Martin's win was under scrutiny, Reed responded, "It's way unofficial." Ben Rowe, at least in the interim, had been credited with 2nd place following 2 green-white-checkered restarts. Johnny Clark was 3rd. Unofficially speaking, of course, Rick Martin won his first PASS North Series race in 2 seasons on Saturday night at Thompson International Speedway.
Rowe was as upset as he's ever been after the race.
"I was mad last week when the guy wrecked me, but this...," Rowe said. "A rule is a rule... There's no way. I'd hate winning like that, but you've got to take one when you get it."
Martin was at the center of 2 controversies over the closing laps. First, he appeared to take the white flag before Gary Bellefleur hit the turn 1 wall to bring out the yellow. The PASS rule is that cars race back to the checkered flag -- a race Rowe won -- though Reed said it was ruled the cars had not crossed under the white flag.
On the ensuing restart, Rowe felt Martin had jumped the green flag. PASS's rule on that states that a win cannot be "stolen," meaning a driver cannot win by jumping the final restart.
"No, no. Kyle Busch wins all the time, and they boo him," Martin said, after emerging from his car in victory lane to a chorus of lusty boos from the grandstands. "At least they're acknowledging me. I haven't done anything in the last 20 years to even hear a cheer or a boo."
For the fans, Martin's win may have been controversial for a reason other than what the other competitors saw.
Local favorite Derek Ramstrom, 16, was the fastest car in the field, working to 2nd to challenge Martin for the lead on the first lap 74 restart. But Martin made contact with Ramstrom, driving him up the track and into the turn 4 wall.
"Wow, he races pretty dirty, I must say," Ramstrom said of Martin. "He kind of ran me a little high and then I bounced off the wall, so there wasn't anything I could do about it, really."
Ramstrom rallied to finish, at least under the flag, 5th.
But nobody really knew what the finish was, even while meandering around the pit area late Saturday evening.
"The race was over," Clark said of the first restart. "I think Ben Rowe won it, Trevor Sanborn was 2nd, and I came in 3rd. The race was over. Everyone knows that at the white flag, the race is over."
No finishing order was available from PASS following the event. The official word was that the finish was "under review" by PASS president Tom Mayberry.
I was there and personally I think the race back to the checker rule is dangerous anyway. What if the field were spreadout a little and the leaders took the white then a big pile up happened in turns 3 or 4..that would be brilliant to have them all pile into the mess in turn 3 racing for the win..I understand why the rule is that way but one of these days its gonna hurt somebody. Too bad for Ramstrom. They worked on that car all day and he started damn near last and passed every car in the field and was door to door on the inside of Martin before a caution came out (which I think is when Martin put hm in the wall on the ensuing restart). So If I were Ben Rowe, I wouldn't be bitching too loud about not winning cause if anyone got screwed it was Ramstrom.
From TB:
I understand your feelings about the safety of the racing to the checkered flag. However, it's not the issue here.
The issue is that the rule is drivers are to race back to the checkered flag. Period.
Posted by: Onyx | 13 July 2008 at 11:48 AM