Was NASCAR’s ‘reasonable speed’ call involving Kyle Busch the right one?

NASCAR made a call that benefitted Kyle Busch during the overtimes Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway.

Or so everyone thought it would help Busch.

In typical Busch luck for 2024, it resulted in ending his race.

But first the “controversy” surrounding the call.

As a wreck occurred in front of him, Busch slowed to avoid hitting Ross Chastain on the first overtime restart. He scraped the wall. He didn’t come to a complete stop. He blended back in line around 30th.

NASCAR rules state that those involved in an accident get scored where they blend in. Those not involved in the accident retain their position from the previous scoring look as long as they maintain a “reasonable speed.” 

There is no definition of reasonable speed — that is NASCAR’s discretion. It mostly is the caution car speed except when in an area of an accident, which leads to the perception that a driver must continue at a certain mph at any time in order not to lose positions.

Although NASCAR initially listed Busch in the accident, it took a look and determined that he wasn’t in the accident and his speed was reasonable considering there was a car turned horizontally in front of him. So it put him back to fourth.

Was it a good decision?

If I was making the call, the scrubbing of the wall would seem to make him part of the accident. It’s a judgment call. He certainly kept a reasonable speed to avoid being in the accident.

That NASCAR gave him his spot back isn’t a travesty of justice or a ridiculously bad call. It’s one of those judgment calls in the moment that could go either way. And NASCAR was under pressure to make the call and get the order correct so it could open pit road with Busch in the right position.

The worst part for Busch? Two restarts later, Busch ended up running into the back of a running-out-of-gas Kyle Larson, a position Busch would never have been in if he had not been given his spot back.

That’s the way Busch’s season has gone. He can’t even catch a break when maybe NASCAR gives him one.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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