UPDATE – sooner? Atlanta Motor Speedway president Ed Clark said Thursday that NASCAR officials indicated to him this week that mandatory green-flag finishes for Nextel Cup races are in the works and could be in place before the end of the season. Clark said this week would be a good time to start: “There’s no reason not to do it right now. It would be equal for everybody.” Fans have expressed their displeasure at races ending under caution by throwing objects onto the track and at officials. “My expectation is that every race that ends under caution, you’ll see the same thing,” Clark said. “It’s like booing a driver — once everybody gets to doing it, there’s no stopping it.”(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(6-18-2004)
“green-green-white-checkered” but: NASCAR officials, working quickly to repair an image damaged by a series of recent mistakes, are considering a new rule intended to ensuring green-flag finishes. The rule, which could go into effect later this season, according to NASCAR sources, would be used in the event of a yellow flag in the closing laps of a race and would allow NASCAR to run a “green-green-white-checkered” finish – that is, a three-lap green-flag shootout – even if that meant the race would go beyond the scheduled distance. But if the yellow came out again during that shootout, then the race would end under caution.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-19-2004)
AND: NASCAR is exploring possibilities to help ensure green-flag finishes in its Nextel Cup Series, spokesman Mike Zizzo confirmed Saturday. A green-white-checkered rule is already used in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series, but whether NASCAR would adapt the same rule, or something a little different for Cup has not yet been decided.(ThatsRacin.com)(6-19-2004)