Steven Taranto

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to keep saying "Bummer." every time officiating costs one of my teams a game because the NFL has it out for the Giants and always has ever since they refused to call PI on Chike Okeafor pulling Rich Seubert to the ground and robbed us of a rightful win in the 2002 Wild Card Round.

I completely get why people bring up the no-call on Dale Jr at Talladega '03 whenever a controversial yellow line call happens but enough time has passed now that I don't think it's fair to have NASCAR's current decision makers answer for why this and not that etc. If a lousy no call on roughing the passer happens in the NFL and the head of officiating offers an explanation, I wouldn't then turn and go "that's not what the NFL said about the Sugar Bear penalty!!!" because almost no one at the top of NFL officiating was around in 1976. Same principle

I feel like there have been times where similar things have happened and NASCAR hasn't penalized drivers for going below the line and letting off to either give the spot back or not make a pass. BUT I can't prove it and I also don't recall any specific example I will also say that I don't believe anything like that ever happened on the last lap or in another situation where the field would've been frozen

@STaranto92 It’s the right call. It’s just confusing because they haven’t called it so many times, and are definitely more aware of it on the final lap than at any other course of the race. But as my mom always said: Two wrongs don’t make a right.

From Hauler Talk: An official explanation on exactly why Bubba Wallace was penalized for going below the out-of-bounds line at Atlanta despite not explicitly improving his position and attempting to give the position back. >What mattered in NASCAR's determination was that Bubba "at some point" went below the OOB line and "at some point" improved his position whether he intended to or not. It was mentioned in particular that he was in first at a certain point after his move below the line occurred, and that had there been a caution in that moment he would've initially been scored as the winner. >Attempting to give the position back "does not matter" in the double-painted line rule, nor does it matter if Bubba had intended to improve his position or not. SMT data, which Bubba cited to show what his intent had been, was not part of the review here. >NASCAR's Mike Forde did acknowledge fan questions and points, one of which was that Bubba did not make a pass or advance his position *while* he was below the out of bounds line. While that may or may not be true, that doesn't come into play. "If he did go below the yellow line and eventually improved it, and he did that to improve it, and he wouldn't have gotten to where he did without going below the yellow line, that's really what matters here in this case. He doesn't have to actually make the pass while under the double yellow line." >As far as what NASCAR's definition of "improving your position" is and whether you have to complete a pass or not, that's a NASCAR determination as well. In practical terms, you don't need to have the rear bumper of your car completely in front of the front bumper of another car to have completed a pass. You just need to be an inch ahead (sometimes not even) and it counts all the same. Based off of that and in this case, it was clear that Bubba had improved his position. >It was noted that the 23 team was very professional and respectful in making their case to NASCAR officials that the yellow line rule had been "misapplied". There is a 20 minute period after each race where teams can protest their finishing position (Which is usually along the lines of "You said I finished here but I actually finished here and here is my video/transponder, etc. proof")

There's a lot that got said and it's worth listening to get the full picture for yourself. And if you stick around you'll also get a fun Tony Stewart story (who, if you'll remember, went berserk about his yellow line penalty in the 2001 Pepsi 400) podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bel…

@RobBlount @NASCAR2000s @jeff_gluck You're right and that finish was a complete mess and I still don't agree with the call there. I can only speak to the specific example that got posted

@STaranto92 @NASCAR2000s @jeff_gluck This one wasn’t 23 years ago.

On NASCAR's "Hauler Talk" podcast, Mike Forde says it doesn't matter that Bubba Wallace didn't actually complete a pass while below the double yellow lines; it's the attempt to improve his position that was the foul. Forde: "If he did go below the yellow lines and eventually improved (his position) and he did that to improve it and he wouldn't have gotten to where he did without going below the yellow lines, that's really what matters here in this case. He doesn't actually have to make the pass while under the double painted line." Also says the SMT data didn't matter about Wallace attempting to give the spot back after going below the double yellow line because there are no give-backs with this rule.

@NASCAR2000s @jeff_gluck It's been 23 years and a lot of current NASCAR officials weren't around/in their positions when this happened. Taking them to task for that isn't really fair. And yes, it was a total Immaculate Reception "We can't penalize Dale Jr because the fans would riot if we did" situation

@jeff_gluck You've never met Figgy before?

These guys would shine in improv classes. How do they keep a straight face?

@seiyuucorner @HIOKANATSUMI hbd

Happy birthday Natsumi Hioka! 🎉 Let's wish her all the best @HIOKANATSUMI #NatsumiHioka #日岡なつみ #日岡なつみ生誕祭2026

Noah Gragson addressed some of the fallout from his clash with Kevin Magnussen at San Diego during his and Chase Briscoe's takeover of the Dale Jr Download. Said he let his frustrations get the best of him and he's probably more frustrated with his on-track situation overall this year. Noah on why he didn't throw a punch when Chase gave him some grief about it: "I'm trying to get a job next year, and there's a lot more consequences than just the monetary fine if I were to do that." Noah on the DMs he's gotten from F1 Twitter: "It's always guys with like zero posts and they're just Europeans and they're like 'You fat [expletive] wanker, you suck at driving.' I'm like, well, if I ran with him for 30th, then we both kind of suck, right? If he was running around me, don't we both kind of suck? You know?" Noah said the hit he took from Magnussen going into the corner was 14Gs. Said he just gets frustrated when guys barrel off into the inside early in the race on road courses. "It's like, we can all do that."

I cannot believe this post summoned a Figgy Earnhardt story

6'0 vs. 5'11

@Giants If any of the players who watch Anime watch Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann we're winning the Super Bowl this year

What's your comfort tv show? 📺

Chase Elliott will be doing quadruple duty this weekend, driving the CARS Tour PLM & LMSC races and Craftsman Truck race in addition to the Cup race at North Wilkesboro. The LMSC and Truck races are significant in that they were originally meant for Kyle Busch. "Definitely will be special for that reason, for sure. Would love to go and get a win in honor of him and his career, and just the friend that he was to me over the years as well. "I don't know how my name got drawn or asked or what it was, but I appreciate them thinking of me and letting me have that honor to go and run those races." Chase will run the LMSC race in the No. 8 for JR Motorsports and the Truck race in the No. 7 for Spire Motorsports. He'll also be in the PLM race with FR8 Racing, his usual late model team. h/t @Primetimemitch

@DirtyMoMedia @DaleJr @chasebriscoe @Tjmajors first Figgy and now Chase. Are there any other Earnhardts I should know about????

Noah Majors & Chase Earnhardt Jr 🙏🏻😫 Episode will be out later today.

Not sure why everyone's acting so surprised about this when the 51 car literally had the word "Rocket" on it

@dtoolmand @Blaney @Team_Penske true

@STaranto92 @Blaney @Team_Penske Miller Lite!

Ryan Blaney is here for his post-race press conference I wonder if the can of Miller Lite has anything to say

The clip on my phone telescope broke again so it's not beating the "cheap POS I bought on Amazon" allegations Still got some nice photos with it

.@JaxsonDart @EliManning thoughts?????

I had no idea Lucky Dog had such rage inside him. Never would've guessed