Did you know when drivers are approaching the restart zone they have their left foot on their brakes?

Did you know that the technique for executing a great restart often includes pushing the brake pedal and the accelerator at the same time, then releasing the brake at exactly the same time as you begin compressing the accelerator to spring your car forward moments before the green flag is dropped?

There are a variety tricks and strategies drivers use to capture an advantage moments before the green flag flies, because its their job, their responsibility. It’s called competing.

I was, and still am, disappointed in the black flag shown to Brad Keselowski toward the end of last week’s second Chase race at New Hampshire.

Disappointed in the decision, not the call.

You see, the call is part of NASCAR’s responsibility to govern and protect the sport. I respect that and heavily support it.

The decision to be this specific — or particular — was in my view a misguided decision.

This call felt predetermined to me, not toward Brad, but toward some driver making themselves an easy target to be made an example of. The combination of Brad Keselowski and Greg Biffle gave us that last week on the restart inside 75 laps to go.

The bottom line is this: Did the punishment fit the crime? Of course it didn’t. Brad essentially surrendered any advantage by the time they got to the start-finish line, and Greg Biffle led the race again by the time the field drove under the flagman the next lap by.

There’s a heavy political climate in our country at this time, and many people are opposed to “big government.”

I dislike politics, but my life is and most likely always will be consumed by NASCAR and believe I’m safe in suggesting we don’t need “big NASCAR,” particularly in the Chase!

From my seat, there is no objective way of policing restarts fairly with the system we have, and calls like the one NASCAR made Sunday only further risk opposition from paying customers screaming, “Let these drivers settle it on the track.”

It’s a no-win situation for NASCAR. For several months drivers have pleaded and complained of not understanding the parameters of the restarts.

Coming from a person who spent 25 years competing, trust me when I tell you most of the complaining is based on getting beat and searching for an advantage.

I remember what it was like to compete every week at the highest level, and I’m telling you most of my complaints had little to do with what was best for the people lining the grandstands.

Driver complaints are instinctively self-serving, an attempt to correct their last disappointment or pave the way for an advantage down the road. That’s as it should be.

Jeff Gordon will retire in eight more races, and in my opinion Jeff got away with a slippery restart a week before Brad’s. But I never uttered a word because I love and appreciate the gamesmanship.

For goodness sake, let’s let this thing be as authentic as possible, and I truly believe that the driver who wants it most, the driver that feels he was taken advantage of one time too many, will correct the problem the right way.

It is so easy to move a driver up the racetrack with your front bumper if you truly believe the spot was stolen from you.

All the equipment in the world can’t give NASCAR the knowledge to determine the cause and effect of botched restarts. But drivers, battling for a championship, can and should be our only sheriffs when it comes to components of competing.

NASCAR has a difficult job, and I’ve maintained they do a damned good job the overwhelming majority of the time.

Last week’s black flag to the highest running Chase driver in the second playoff race was the exception.

It puts at risk one of the most entertaining aspects of NASCAR racing, and the rules regarding restarts should be changed because of it.