Several drivers were upset that #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. was allowed to speed up and pass the pace car during a caution so he could save gas to make it to the finish line. The running start gave Earnhardt enough momentum to allow him to turn his engine off and coast halfway around Michigan International Speedway. “I just didn’t know you could pass the pace car,” third-place finisher #17-Matt Kenseth said. NASCAR rules prohibit anyone from passing the pace car during a caution, but Earnhardt was allowed to pull in front of the pace car at least twice to save fuel. The sanctioning body eventually warned him not to do it, but by then he had saved enough to win the LifeLock 400 on fumes. Earnhardt admitted he stretched the rules — and NASCAR’s patience — but not enough to give the victory back. “I got a little greedy,” he said. “I can understand how it looked, especially if you’re not a Dale Jr. fan. But I got the trophy; I got the points.”(Augusta Chronicle)(6-16-2008)
