Marlin Still Upset at NASCAR

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. Feb. 22, 2003; Jenna Fryer writing for the AP reported that Sterling Marlin was still steaming at NASCAR on Saturday for black-flagging him during the Daytona 500 for passing a car under the yellow line on the track.

Adding to his irritation is that NASCAR has not told the field what its late red-flag rule will be for Sunday's race at North Carolina Speedway.

At Daytona, they announced the morning of the race that the event would not be stopped if a caution came out with five or less laps to go. Had those rules been in effect last season, Marlin would have won the 500.

Winston Cup director John Darby said teams will be told in the Sunday morning driver meeting what the red-flag rule will be for the Subway 400.

"I guess the stars all have to be lined up just right, and the moon has to be shining full and some sort of voodoo witch needs to come and cast a spell for NASCAR to make a decision about anything anymore," Marlin said.

Most of his anger stems from his black-flag penalty at Daytona, where passing cars on the apron is illegal. Marlin dropped below the yellow line on the track to slide past Elliott Sadler, who had slowed because of an ignition problem.

In fifth place when he went into the pits for a stop-and-go penalty, Marlin dropped back to 38th after the penalty. He and his team have argued that driving around Sadler on the apron was the only way to avoid an accident.

Sadler agreed.

"I would have done the exact same thing he did," Sadler said. "Sterling is too good of a driver to just cause a wreck like that, so he went around me because he had the momentum and it was a judgment call by NASCAR. Any good driver would have done what he did."

Darby said the rule strictly prohibits passing under the yellow line, leaving the sanctioning body little choice but to penalize Marlin.

However, Darby said the situation might have been different had Marlin slipped back behind Sadler after realizing he had illegally passed him. And a penalty might also have been avoided if Sadler's ignition problem had been evident to officials at the time.

Either way, Marlin received support in the garage for the gaffe.

"I know the decision Sterling had to make when he did that," Jeremy Mayfield said. "If you've got cars behind you and you've got momentum rolling. You let off and get hit in the back or run across the grass or maybe take half the field out.

"Sometimes you don't have a choice. It may have looked like you were doing it trying to gain position, but you're really not."