Drivers angered by scoring controversy at Martinsville

A scoring snafu caused a lengthy caution that left drivers fuming following the Sprint Cup playoff race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday.

The caution was caused when Carl Edwards suffered a tire failure on Lap 356 and slammed into the outside wall. This occurred as many drivers were making green-flag pit stops, which jumbled the running order after Edwards’ accident and prompted NASCAR to have the field continue circling the half-mile track until the proper lineup could be determined.

Further complicating matters, during the caution leader AJ Allmendinger and second-place Jimmie Johnson both ran out of fuel and stopped on the track. Because they had stopped Allmendinger and Johnson had to relinquish their positions, handing the lead to Denny Hamlin.

Adding to the confusion several drivers, including championship contender Kevin Harvick, then passed Hamlin under caution as the field circled under yellow. But Harvick and some of the others who passed Hamlin were not penalized.

NASCAR justified the extended caution because it wanted to ensure the order was accurate. Martinsville is the first of three races in the semifinal round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff, therefore significantly increasing the importance of each position on the track. For instance, Hamlin advanced out of the previous round via a tiebreaker over Austin Dillon when they tied for the final transfer slot.

“We took our time and we want to get it right,” Sprint Cup Series managing director Richard Buck said. “We know what the stakes are and we felt we got it right.”

But not every driver believed NASCAR got the lineup correct. Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski were among those questioning whether the sanctioning body had properly positioned drivers.

“We got passed by four cars, that’s what’s frustrating,” Hamlin said. “Somebody has got to see -- even the pace car driver should see cars are passing that shouldn’t be passing.

“The stakes are so high, I really wish we would have red flagged the race, gone, reviewed it and gotten it right. There’s a 100 percent chance it was not right at the end. It changed the running order.”

The caution lasted for 25 minutes, with the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 finally restarting on Lap 385.

Second-place finisher Keselowski was especially displeased with NASCAR’s decision not to stop the race and sort the issue out. Keselowski had the fastest car in the closing laps and was chasing down leader Jimmie Johnson, but was unable to catch Johnson before the checkered flag waved.

“We don’t need to run a hundred laps under yellow with the field not trying to figure out where they’re at,” Keselowski said. “It probably cost us the race.”