At every barbershop, water cooler, cantina or car repair shop in America, someone will have an answer today to the question: "What should NASCAR do about finishing a race under a yellow flag?" The real problem is that the answer to that question already exists and for some reason, the decision-makers in Daytona Beach can not see it.

Section 9-14 of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rulebook state:
A. All races will be run until the leader has completed the advertised distance.

	The pace car, front, leads winner Matt Kenseth, followed by Sterling Marlin, and Bobby Labonte, rear, to the checkered flag.

B. The race will be extended beyond the advertised distance when the race is under caution before the leader starts the last lap. The race will conclude with a green, white, checkered finish. All additional laps will be counted and scored.

C. When unforeseen circumstances prevent the completion of the advertised distance, the race will be considered officially completed after the halfway distance has been reached or surpassed by the leader, provided circumstances make it impractical to continue or complete the race within a reasonable time after it has been stopped.

I have attempted on more than a dozen occasions to get an answer from Mike Helton or Kevin Triplett as to what reason the Winston Cup and Busch Grand National divisions have not adopted the same policy. There has not been a reasonable answer given yet.

The truth is, the race fans deserve better. From this point forward no race should ever end under the yellow flag if avoidable.

The Craftsman Truck Series rule should be immediately adapted to the Winston Cup Series and Busch Series. There have been a number of races that could not be restarted in a timely manner. If darkness is eminent at a track with no lights, or weather a factor, then a judgment call must be made. When a judgment call is made on how quickly the track can be cleaned up, and the fans do not see the race finish under green (when it could), I call that a travesty to the ticket buyers.

Most of the competitors are upset because of the lack of consistency in the NASCAR policies in this area. Ask Dale Jarrett about his Richmond race in June of 1998 when Terry Labonte lead the final three laps after the race was red flagged. DJ was stunned at the outcome. From that point forward the rulings have been different week-to-week. Therein lies the problem.

One reason I have been given from the NASCAR brass as to why they do not change this policy is that many Winston Cup races come down to fuel mileage. Extending the race more laps could change the outcome of the finish in those instances. That story does not hold water with me.

The teams are always adapting to new rules and changing situations. The pit crews now have to bring the right side tires back to the wall instead of leaving them laying on pit road. Great rule, with no trouble adapting to it from the teams.

This year the over-the-wall pit crewmembers all have to wear fire suites and helmets. It's a great rule and the teams seem to have no trouble adapting to it.

If the normal policy becomes green-white-checkered finishes, the teams will figure in the possible extra laps into fuel mileage calculations. If they didn't figure that in, too bad for them. A rule is a rule. Right now there is no clear-cut rule, and that needs to be changed.

Baseball games go into extra innings; basketball and football games go into overtime. Why would an automobile race end during a time out? It just does not make sense.

As a fan, if it is pouring down rain and there is no chance for a restart that day, I can walk away saying, 'They gave it their best shot.'

When a race ends under caution like at Rockingham, I walk away saying, 'I got cheated and I am not coming back for more of that.'