DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – The new rule governing green-white-checkered attempts in the Sprint Cup Series was a collaborative effort between NASCAR and its drivers according to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
NASCAR’s new overtime rule, which was put into practical application for the first time during Saturday’s Sprint Unlimited, meant the creation of an “overtime line” on the backstretch. If the leader of the race gets to the line before a caution happens after the restart, either a yellow flag or checkered flag ends the race. If a caution flag comes out before the leader gets to the line, another green-white-checkered will be attempted.
“The green-white-checkered rule was a collaboration between NASCAR and the drivers,” Junior said. “As [NASCAR vice president Steve O’Donnell] said, Is that the final decision? Is that the end point? Is that the perfect way to do it? We don’t know. But the fact that we came to that solution together was a great thing, I thought.”
The line didn’t come in to play during the Unlimited. The race, won by Denny Hamlin, ended under caution but the caution happened on the second lap of the green-white-checkered restart.
Junior is still a member of the driver’s council, which was formed during the 2015 season as a way to streamline communication between NASCAR and drivers. The nine-member council recently added Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch to its ranks, according to Junior, and Jamie McMurray said he was no longer part of the council.
Junior said the council was really starting to make progress in its meetings with NASCAR towards the end of the season and said the nine drivers on the council have already met to discuss things for 2016.
“If another driver who’s not on the council has an even better idea that we need to communicate, get the drivers to understand that, ‘Man, this council can do some great things. Let me get in there, throw my ideas on the table, let them try to take that to NASCAR,'” Junior said.
“I’m really excited about it. I love being a part of it. My hope is that the council is still around 15 or 20 years from now and it’s very effective.”
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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