#8-Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s performance during Friday evening’s final Winston Cup practice drew a stern warning from series director John Darby. After Earnhardt Jr. apparently dropped below the yellow line during the final 10 minutes of practice, Darby came over the NASCAR channel on the radio, wanting a message sent to Earnhardt Jr.’s spotter. “I know this is just practice,” Darby said, “but it would be a good thing to practice that yellow line rule since we’ll be enforcing it tomorrow night.” NASCAR received much criticism in Arpil when Earnhardt Jr. dipped below the yellow line in the final laps of his win at Talladega. No penalty was assessed. There has since been a large amount of discussion among drivers about the intent and enforcement of the yellow line rule, which was first introduced in 2001.( ThatsRacin.com )(7-5-2003)
