361 By Paul Pabst SI.com's Paul Pabst breaks down the biggest stories in NASCAR. 8 2 5 2 65481 ppabst 346988 2568 http://img.fannation.com/images/layout/profile-headshot.gif Not exactly taking the checkered flag, David Reutimann rode to victory under an umbrella Sunday. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images What will be the the lasting memory from David&hellip; <div class="photo_container image_right" style="width: 300px;"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/35261/david-reutimann-rain.jpg" alt="David-reutimann-rain" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Not exactly taking the checkered flag, David Reutimann</div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">rode to victory under an umbrella Sunday.<br /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Streeter Lecka/Getty Images<br /></div> </div> <p>What will be the the lasting memory from <strong>David Reutimann</strong>'s win in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600? Mine will be the image of Reutimann standing in the rain with <strong>Michael Waltrip</strong> waiting for NASCAR officials to declare the race over due to the weather -- making him the winner. The funny thing was that the TV announcers were still holding out hope that they would get the race in, even while <strong>Jeff Burton</strong> was shown in street clothes moments earlier. Calling it anticlimactic would be an understatement. <br /><br />NASCAR is in a tough spot with the weather situation. They have to wait out weather and sometimes move a race back a day as they did this weekend. I wonder if they could do this on bad weather days: On Monday they look at the forecast and decide they can get in 200 laps before the storm hits. Either before or during the race they declare that the race will be shortened to 200 laps. Everyone knows -- broadcasters, drivers, crews, fans in the stands and viewers at home. Even better, if bad weather is on the horizon midway through the race, NASCAR can announce, "20 laps for the win." Everybody pits under caution, and you have 20 laps to do what you can do. From an competitive standpoint, it would work better than having crew chiefs staring up at the sky as they decide whether to pit or stay out, though it worked for Reutimann on Monday. I know this is simple on paper, but it would work on race day. I would rather see 200 great laps with a payoff than watch a driver celebrate under an umbrella while one of his crew guys dumps a single Coke over his head.</p> <p>Sure this isn't a perfect answer. No one can predict the weather for certain, but there has to be a better solution than what we have now. What if on Monday NASCAR announces that they are going 200 laps instead of 400 due to the weather, and then the rain goes away. Having the winner celebrating with clear skies in the background wouldn't be ideal, mostly for the FOX execs who sold enough ad spots to fill 400 laps. But is that really worse than standing around, staring at the skies?<br /><br />And that's it a nutshell. Sponsorship dollars decide how long a race goes. Even yesterday the guys in the booth kept hope alive long enough to wedge in one more Autozone spot before Reutimann was declared the winner. So I've debunked my own solution just moments after putting it out there. If you can work up a better plan, I'm all ears. I hope NASCAR is, too.<br /></p> 2009-05-26T13:51:35-04:00 2009-05-26T13:51:35-04:00 2009-07-07T19:04:57-04:00 14 64881 ppabst 346988 2568 http://img.fannation.com/images/layout/profile-headshot.gif Auto Racing Mark Martin has had about enough of post-race burnouts. Jerry Markland/Getty Images Last week when driver Mark Martin was on the Dan Patrick Radio Show, he was talking&hellip; <div class="photo_container image_right" style="width: 300px;"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/34761/mark-martin298.jpg" alt="Mark-martin298" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Mark Martin has had about enough of post-race burnouts.<br /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Jerry Markland/Getty Images<br /></div> </div> <p>Last week when driver <strong>Mark Martin</strong> was on the <a title="blocked::http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/64421/index.html" href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/64421/index.html">Dan Patrick Radio Show</a>, he was talking about how he celebrates wins differently at 50 than he did at 25. One thing stood out: burnouts after a victory are pretty standard these days. Martin said that burnouts in the grass or on the track are "juvenile&hellip;it's for the young folks." He added that he's never liked the practice because in the old days, drivers took care of their cars. "None of the old guys ever did burnouts," Martin added. "Old school guys took care of their equipment. They didn't burn the tires and beat the crap out of the motor."&nbsp; On the other hand, Martin admitted that celebratory burnouts are "great for TV and get a lot of attention."</p> <p>This season we've seen our fair share of burnouts. We've also seen Kurt Busch's backwards celebration lap -- a welcome and very showy change. But is Mark Martin onto something? Is there something to be said for the <strong>Barry Sanders</strong> style of celebration (acting like you've been there before, and acting like you'll be there again)? Maybe the old timer (with two wins in his pocket already this season) knows what he's talking about...</p> <p>Before I get to the winner of Saturday's All-Star race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, I have to mention the driver who finished seventh. <strong>Kyle Busch</strong> has to be the most entertaining driver -- on the track -- in NASCAR. He hovers between reckless and daring with his driving style. On the lap 91 restart, Busch nosed his Toyota in between <strong>Jeff Gordon</strong> and <strong>Matt Kenseth</strong> to force his way into the lead. It was the move of the night, but not a rare occurrence for Busch, it's a weekly thing for him. Busch sometimes embraces his black hat role, something the sport needs. Even if you are not a fan of the guy, you have to admit his aggressive driving is impossible to ignore.<br /><br />Now your winner. <strong>Tony Stewart</strong> and his Office Depot Chevy grabbed on the bottom of the track on lap 99 to go around Kenseth&hellip;"I couldn't believe he gave me the bottom," Stewart said after the win. It's an impressive win for the new Stewart-Hass racing team, but the entire season has been impressive. Expectations were mixed when the marriage was announced, but I don't think even the confident Stewart expected to be second in points in late May. <br /><br />Lucky for fans, Stewart showed in the post-race interview that he hasn't gone soft in his new role as a team owner. When asked about the possibility of racing in the Indy 500, Stewart let the press corps know that the post-race celebration my last a while. <br /><br />"I don't know if I'll even been conscious. We might set an over/under to see what time I actually wake up (tomorrow)," Stewart said only half-kidding. "No I'm not going to Indy."<br /><br />Awkward moment of the weekend goes to driver <strong>Jeremy Mayfield</strong>, again. Mayfield was at Saturday's race talking to reporters in the infield about his positive drug test from May 7th. Mayfield stayed away from the garage, but NASCAR said that his presence in the infield violated his suspension. He got the boot. "No suspended driver or crew member is permitted in any area of the track where NASCAR business or responsibilities are conducted. This includes, but not limited to the garage, spotters stand, pit road, driver-owner lot and hospitality areas," NASCAR said in a statement. Stay tuned on this story. A defiant Mayfield isn't going away.<br /><br />Now back to the debate we started with. As a fan who is younger than Mark Martin but older than Kyle Busch, I've become accustomed to post-race burnouts and when I DON'T see one after a win, it feels like something is missing. They have become an expected element. That said, it's gratuitous. You rarely see something new when someone tears up the infield grass. I don't mind a backflip, or a driver climbing a fence after a win if it's out of pure emotion. What do you think? What's your favorite celebration of all time? And what <em>should </em>a driver do after a win?</p> 2009-05-18T13:41:53-04:00 2009-05-18T13:48:49-04:00 2009-07-20T09:53:10-04:00 4 64361 ppabst 346988 2568 http://img.fannation.com/images/layout/profile-headshot.gif What's real story behind Jeremy Mayfield's suspension? <div class="photo_container image_right" style="width: 300px;"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/34301/jeremy-mayfield298.jpg" alt="Jeremy-mayfield298" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Mayfield tested positive, but for what?</div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Jerry Markland/Getty Images</div> </div> <p>When NASCAR announced before Saturday's race at Darlington that driver <strong>Jeremy Mayfield</strong> had tested positive under their drug testing program, I wanted to know which drug? I still want to know.</p> <p>Mayfield maintains that the positive test was a mistake:</p> <p>"As both a team owner and a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, I have immense respect for the enforcement policies NASCAR has in place," Mayfield said in a statement Saturday. "In my case, I believe that the combination of a prescribed medicine and an over-the-counter medicine reacted together and resulted in a positive drug test."</p> <p>NASCAR came out with its testing policy last year to a collective chuckle by sports fans. I respected the preemptive move, but on the depth chart of sports that have illegal performance enhancing drug issues, NASCAR is near the bottom and I say that as a compliment to the sport. When you hear "drug testing," your mind instantly goes to steroids. We talked about this on <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/index.html" target="_blank">The Dan Patrick Show</a> on Monday. Which sport would most surprise you to have 'roids in it? NASCAR topped even golf. Unlike baseball and football, NASCAR's policy is more about detecting drugs that are performance-altering than performance enhancing. It may be na&iuml;ve of me, but I can't see a drug that would enhance your performance as a driver ... crew members maybe, because speed and strength are vital in that job.</p> <p>I spoke to NASCAR PR to get a few more details on their testing policy. While I didn't receive a list of what is banned or a flow chart to match the offense with the suspension, like baseball has, I did learn the following.</p> <p>-- All drivers, crew members and officials in the three national series had to complete and pass a pre-season drug test in order to receive their 2009 NASCAR license. In addition, NASCAR has random drug testing each weekend at its three national series events.</p> <p>-- Each weekend, the random tests are conducted at the race track on days leading up to and including the day of the race</p> <p>-- All drivers, crew members and officials are bound by the same policy&nbsp;-- "misuse or abuse" of any drug is a violation of NASCAR policy. Before the season, teams were given an extensive list that included very stringent thresholds as a baseline for tests done by approved laboratories.</p> <p>While those policies seem straightforward, they leave many questions. Veteran driver <strong>Mark Martin</strong> said on the Dan Patrick Show that&nbsp;he never got a list of which drugs were banned and is on "pins and needles" about which over-the-counter medicines he can and can&rsquo;t take.</p> <p>A key&nbsp;difference in NASCAR's drug policy compared to other sports is that it's zero tolerance. There is no official appeal process and the punishments for violations are not cookie-cutter, it's up to the NASCAR brass to punish as they see fit. This is something that player unions in other sports would never let happen, but it's also something that many sports fans would like to see --&nbsp;a drug testing policy with teeth.</p> <p><strong>Manny Ramirez</strong> will be back on the field by July 4th, while some NASCAR analysts are predicting that Mayfield is done ... for good.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>What are your thoughts on NASCAR's policy:</p> 2009-05-11T15:35:20-04:00 2009-05-11T15:35:20-04:00 2009-05-26T16:20:07-04:00 10