Stop-and-go

NASCAR changes enforcement of pit road speed

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) -- NASCAR will change the way it enforces the speed limit on pit road beginning with next week's race at Darlington Raceway.

Drivers caught speeding entering or leaving the pits will be brought back in for a "drive through," where they will have to maintain the minimum speed but can't stop in their pits.

The change was announced Sunday by NASCAR president Mike Helton before the MBNA America 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Currently, a driver who speeds coming into the pits is held in his box for 15 seconds. Anyone speeding leaving pit road is black flagged and forced to make a stop-and-go in the pit.

The change comes after Sterling Marlin wasn't penalized last week at Las Vegas for exceeding the 45 mph limit entering the pits. The official in Marlin's pit failed to hear the driver was supposed to be held. After Marlin drove away, NASCAR rescinded the penalty.

"We all know making him come back in to serve the penalty would've been too severe a penalty for the competitor," Helton said. "But we also know it might not have been fair to everybody else."

Drivers, who don't have speedometers in their cars, judge their speed on pit road by reading the RPMs on the tachometer. Before each event, the pace car runs a prerace lap at pit road speed to give the field a gauge.

Marlin said his tach wasn't working at Las Vegas, causing him to speed. He was able to follow another car out of the pits so he stayed under the speed limit.

A driver who speeds during his drive through will be brought back in for a stop-and-go.

The penalty remains the same for speeding under caution, with the driver forced to restart from the back of the field.

"It works," said Eddie Wood, car owner for Elliott Sadler. "I'm sure something will come up and they'll have to tune it a little, but I think it'll take care of most of the problems."

 

Related information
Multimedia
Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call your cable operator or DirecTV.