NASCAR mailbag: Why the overtime line rule needs to be changed

Each week SB Nation's NASCAR reporter Jordan Bianchi answers your questions about the latest news and happenings within the sport. If you have a future mailbag question, email jordanmbianchi@gmail.com.

Can we please do away with the overtime line? It’s bad enough NASCAR put it in place to begin with, but with officials not even pretending to enforce it any more, having the line is an even stupider idea. Is there hope this will be changed, because I don’t know how anyone watching the Daytona Xfinity race can think this is a good thing.

--Paul

The reasoning behind instituting the overtime line was sound, with NASCAR wanting to avoid a repeat of the controversial finish from the 2015 playoff elimination race at Talladega Superspeedway where Kevin Harvick allegedly caused a caution to stave off elimination. But as the finish to Saturday’s Xfinity Series race demonstrated, the execution is lacking.

As video replays clearly show, race leader William Byron hadn’t crossed the line when a multi-car accident happened behind him. However, there is about a two-second gap from when the crash occurred to when NASCAR called for the yellow flag, which enabled Byron to cross the line, effectively ending the race. NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Monday that the delay was due to officials waiting to see if the incident warranted a caution — standard procedure when an accident happens near the finish of a race.

Regardless the reason for the delay, what’s not in dispute is having a race conclude by an indicator on the backstretch — away from where the majority of fans are seated — and in far more complicated fashion than the previous policy, has proven to be both unpopular and ineffective. When a race is declared over is dependent upon how quickly an official does or does not hit the button to trigger the caution lights.

If there must be an overtime line, then it needs to be visible to the majority of fans in attendance and absolutely enforced even if that means a several-minute delay to sort out the running order the race restarted and the likelihood of additional cautions. Effectiveness and consistency matter a great deal. Unlike so many rules within the sport, there should be no gray nor inconsistency when it comes to this rule. The less subjectivity there is, the better it is for all involved.

And to its credit, NASCAR seems to have realized this. In an interview with NBC Sports this week, O’Donnell said NASCAR is evaluating the placement of the overtime line and considering moving it to the start/finish next season, thereby giving fans at least a full lap of action before declaring a race over. That may not solve all the issues with the overtime line, though it’s certainly less complicated than the current system.

Or, if NASCAR wanted an even more straightforward approach to finish a race, it could revert to the method used from 1948-2004 where overtime didn’t exist and a race concluded when it reached its scheduled distance. But why revert to a rule that worked so well for so many years when it can merely overcomplicate things to the nth degree.

How soon is too soon for Hendrick Motorsports to bring William Byron up to Cup? He looks like the real deal, but I feel like he needs more seasoning in Xfinity before we know for sure. I can’t help but think he’d end up like Joey Logano if he were to move after just one season in Xfinity.

--Brad

After back-to-back wins, which followed a close runner-up finish to Denny Hamlin, whose car later failed post-race inspection, talk has increased regarding whether the 19-year-old is ready for promotion to NASCAR’s top division. Coinciding with that speculation is Rick Hendrick needing at least one, and maybe two drivers, to fill out his 2018 driver lineup with Dale Earnhardt Jr. retiring and Kasey Kahne continuing to underperform.

The knock against Byron is his lack of experience; he’s only been racing actual cars for about five years and has 39 combined starts across the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series. Yet nothing about him suggests he’s anything but a prodigy possessing the maturity to handle the pressures associated with racing for NASCAR’s premier organization and as Earnhardt’s possible heir apparent.

Logano is often cited as why teams should be in no hurry to elevate a young driver. This ignores the circumstances around his advancement, including Tony Stewart unexpectedly asking Joe Gibbs Racing for his release, which forced the team to hastily tab Logano and made the situation difficult by placing the then-teenager in an untenable position.

But if you’re going to use Logano as the poster child, then also acknowledge Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, and Daniel Suarez, who each had two seasons or fewer competing full-time on the national level before getting the nod to Cup and all of whom made a seamless transition.

Like Logano, Byron may have some initial hiccups before eventually developing into the superstar he’s projected to be. There is also a good chance he mirrors Elliott, Jones, Larson, and Suarez and enjoys near-instant success.

How realistic is it that Dale Jr. will end up in the TV booth next season calling races? And if he is serious, what role do you think he’ll have and will this be a good fit for him?

--Ian

Considering Earnhardt has spoken publicly about his interest and had conversations with Fox Sports and NBC Sports about potential opportunities, it’s fair to say that there’s a good chance Earnhardt will be on television screens next season in that capacity.

As for what role, that’s to be determined. It stands to reason that if a network is going bring in what is unquestionably the sport’s most popular figure, then he is going to be placed in a prominent position with maximum exposure — i.e. in the booth serving as an analyst. And through a small sample size, in the few races Earnhardt has been a guest analyst, he’s proven he has the insight and the capability to convey that knowledge with the masses in a concise manner.

Few would be shocked if Earnhardt ascends into this generation’s version of Benny Parson, someone whose popularity as an announcer transcends a driving career that earned enshrinement into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.