Flag Beef: After Marlin crossed the finish line, his crew ran to him with an American flag, but NASCAR refused to let Marlin take the customary victory lap. He instead drove straight to the winner’s circle, carrying the flag out his window. “I was going to make a lap around the track with the flag, from what went on this morning we just wanted to show support overseas and for the armed forces,” Marlin said. “But the NASCAR posse got us.” NASCAR said it prohibited Marlin from taking the lap because it was unsafe due the amount of people who had raced out to the finish line. The decision disappointed the crew, which sent partial team owner Felix Sabates to express that to NASCAR.(CNN/SI) and from the Gaston Gazette: NASCAR manages to stifle patriotism; AND Felix Sabates, who maintains a minority interest in the team, said NASCAR President Mike Helton later apologized for series officials disrupting their celebration(Racing Extra)(10-8-2001)
