Smith still smarting over 'Dega disqualification despite support
CBSSports.com wire reports
CONCORD, N.C. -- When Regan Smith passed Tony Stewart on the last lap at Talladega Superspeedway, he was certain he had just earned his first Sprint Cup Series victory.
When NASCAR ruled the pass illegal, Smith figured he was for sure a career-best second. Still unhappy with his runner-up finish, he went to argue his case in the NASCAR office following the finish Sunday.
So imagine his surprise, while waiting for top NASCAR officials, Smith saw himself dropped to an 18th-place finish.
"I thought I was going to plead my case about if I was first or second," Smith said Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I was sitting in the (NASCAR) hauler, literally sitting there, and it flashed up on the screen and it went from second down to 18th.
"And I said 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, what just happened there?' I was like 'Man, that's even worse yet.' "
And so went the saga of the rookie who appeared to use a gutsy move to beat a two-time series champion in a thrilling Talladega finish. Instead, Smith's pass of Stewart under the yellow out-of-bounds line at the bottom of the track was disqualified and his penalty was being dropped to the tail end of the lead lap.
He was adamant that he believed the rule was "anything goes" on the last lap of a restrictor-plate race, and passing below the line was allowed so long as the driver could see the flagstand. Several other drivers, including two-time champion Jimmie Johnson, said they also interpreted the rule that way.
And there was precedence. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Talladega in 2003 by passing Matt Kenseth below the yellow line, and Johnny Benson earned second-place in a Truck Series race at Daytona last year by passing below the line.
A day after the finish, NASCAR clarified that passing under the line would never be tolerated on any lap.
Smith said if knew Sunday that the pass was prohibited, he would have stayed in line -- a tactic he's certain would have caused a huge accident.
"If we were to go back two weeks from now, same situation, same circumstances at the end of the race, knowing what I know now, there would have been a big crash at the end of the race because I wouldn't have budged," Smith said. "I would have stuck my nose there and left it there."
Smith was behind Stewart on the final lap, with Stewart blocking every one of Smith's moves. As Stewart moved high one time, Smith pulled along side him and Stewart quickly came back down to prevent the pass. To avoid the two cars running into each other, Smith said he ducked below the line and completed the pass he was already in the process of making.
He returned to the racing surface in the lead and beat Stewart to the finish line, his crew exploding in celebration on pit road. A stunned Stewart waited for the call, which finally ordered him to Victory Lane for his first win at the Alabama track and first victory of the season.
