Ok Ive been thinking about this rule that you can't pit in anyones box but your own, since Kasey wasn't allowed to pit in the 19's stall. It's ridiculous, what a stupid rule, you can essentially use everything that belongs to your teammate, you can use his crew members, his tires, his equipment, but you cant use any of that in his spot. I think this is a RIDICULOUS rule that Nascar might want to rething in light of the Chase and how much rides on some of these pit stops. And another thing, could they not have put fuel in his car in the entrance to the garage? I mean they all attacked Jeff Gordons car right in the entrance...

I don't see why they can't use a teammates pit box either since they can use just about everything else their teammates have.

I hadn't thought about that until this thread. I would think that it has something to do with try to be fair to the one car teams on race day. They don't have the teammate's stalls to use.

they also dont have teammates to borrow crew members to fix their broken cars, or to scuff their tires...

Ok you know how theres a column every week that answers fans questions, i forget which one, Last Lap maybe? Im going to email Marty this one.

Edit heres the email i sent to Marty

true but I don't think that being able to share parts and crew would make as big a difference as pitting in a teammates stall because it is closer than your pitt stall. If the car is bad enough that it has to go behind the wall then most likely loaning parts and crew isn't going to improve the finish that much. It's just going to lessen the amount of laps the car goes down. However, we have seen every week that pitt stall location can have detrimental effects on where you finish, the difference between a win and a top 15 or worse.

And it didn't seem to me that Brian scuffing tires for teammates really had that great a impact on the finishes either.

that's just my point of view.

it may have already been said but I think the rule is there becuase you could use your teammates pit box as an advantage... like if they have a better pit box or the location could help you get in and out faster... I think they see it as an advantage... while everything else is an advantage for the most part it isn't gonna win/lose you races.. I mean I guess it could but who knows...

I'd be interested to see what Marty says

I'll be interested in Marty's response as well.

yea, I'll be interested in the response.....

but I'm not sure how I feel about it. Would it have helped yesterday? Hell yea it would have but, thats a one in a million thing........

I wouldn't see NASCAR changing that one anytime soon, I think we've got a far better chance at rewarding a win than changing something like that.

Yeah, but if they were allowed to use a teammates oit box, there would need to be all sorts of other rules about when they were allowed and everything else. Only if that teammmate was out of the race? Only if you were on different sequences? What if your teammate had a better crew? Do you have to use your own crew?

I hate to keep saying it (okay, no, I really don't) but, if it wasn't Kasey and it was, oh say, hmmmmm, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, would you all be saying it was a dumb rule then???????

I agree with what this person said.

even if it was Jimmie or Jeff its still a stupid rule. I just don't see the difference in scuffing tires for teammates and sharing fuel

I also agree with that...

I don't think Nascar should change the rule. In a situation like Kasey's it would be one thing, but they are too many situations where it could be abused.

For instance, Kasey is in the chase, but his teammate Sadler is not. Sadler qualifies on the pole and Kasey qualifies 32nd. Sadler picks the primo pit stall for the track, but during the race Kasey's team uses it. That just doesn't seem right to me. It's bad enough watching teammates do the lead a lap for 5 bonus points dance. I sure don't want to see them swapping pit stalls.


Christine

yeah but everyone could argue its NOT fair for a team in the Chase who has no teammates too since they have NO help...

The whole point is not wether it is fair to 1 car teams or not, its the concept that you can literally share everything with your team even DURING a race, except the pit stall

I am not saying it is fair or unfair. I am saying if you change the rule it could be abused. You know the infamous gray area.

As far as the example I gave, that is all it was, an example. Just for the fun of it I will give you another example. How about a single car team (pick one it doesn't matter to me) that is just on the edge of being in the top 35 in owners points. They qualify poorly, but get in the race. Another single car team (that is safely in the top 35 in owners points) qualifies in the top 5. The team that is trying to get in the top 35 in points decides to try and buy the pit stall from the other single car team since it could give them an advantage during the race and improve their finish. Sound crazy - probably - but who knows, why open that can of worms? I am sure there are many other scenarios that we could come up with, we would probably like some and hate some.

As far as single car teams not having any help, they know the rules when they decide to get invloved in Nascar as a single car team, so I don't think of it as fair or unfair, I think it is what it is. Nascar has decided to let teams help each other out in some areas, which isn't a problem/issue. I just think messing with pit stalls could cause alot of drama/abuse and I don't think it is neccesary.

I cann see how it can be seen as wierd that teams can share everything else but not a pit stall. but like it was said before I have to agree...Sharing information and extra hands behind the wall inthe garage isn't as finish improving as using anothers pit box for fuel.

plus..whats the difference if you run out of fuel on the track or on pit road? its still just running out of fuel, and since Kasey was on the pole which is an achievement and his 'reward' was first choice for primo pit selection...seems this time it wasn't such a reward, thats all.