So was the Pit Road Speed Limit 55 or 60 or Did it Depend on Who Was "Caught" Speeding?

Leave it to NASCAR to have a nebulous speed limit zone on pit road. At last week's Brickyard 400, NASCAR claimed to nab JP Montoya for speeding on pit road. The speed limit was 55. The 'tolerance' was 5 MPH. HUH???? Well, which was it? 55 or 60 MPH? Jeez...NASCAR can't even make a simple determination as to a speed limit without throwing in a monkey wrench. If the speed limit is 55, then it should be 55. Does your State's highway patrol give you a 5 MPH tolerance if they pull you over?? I doubt it. Ours sure doesn't.

Aside from the fact that NASCAR took the race away from Montoya by issuing a speeding ticket for something like 60.001 MPH (and no one else was caught speeding...amazing), the bigger problem is that ONCE AGAIN NASCAR has a 'rule' they are enforcing which is, to be kind, nebulous. Leave it to NASCAR....

As technical and intelligent as NASCAR claims to be, a green flag pit stop should be at a reasonable speed but not necessarily a designated speed. A pit stop under caution should be just that. No one should be allowed to advance their position on a yellow flag pit stop. The field is frozen when the yellow is thrown. Let everyone pit and restore the cars to the same position. Not rocket science, NASCAR. Common sense. The race should be out on the track, not in the pits.

Once Again NASCAR Controls Outcome of Race--this time at Indianapolis

When Juan Pablo Montoya, who was dominating the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race from Indianapolis, was penalized by NASCAR for speeding on pit road today I turned the television off and went outside to work in the garden. I knew then that a Hendrick car was, indeed, being fitted by NASCAR for a 'win' at the Brickyard. It was bad enough that the pre-race hoopla, primarily on ESPN, focused on the Hendrick drivers ad nauseum to the point where once again fans became suspicious as to the fineagled race outcome. Usually when that happens you can bet someone is being groomed for the winner's circle.

Imagine my lack of surprise when I came back inside and turned the sports on, to find that Jimmie Johnson had won the race. NASCAR did not want Montoya to win this event--that was obvious. It's a shame they have become so transparent. And then NASCAR wonders why fans are leaving the sport in droves....

Incidentally, the plethora of empty seats at the famed Brickyard exceeded even our expectations. Why bother to pay for a ticket and go to the race if you can be relatively sure that NASCAR controlling-Hendrick racing is going to virtually be guaranteed a win???