Daytona cutoff: Two critical moves by Austin Dillon in a playoff win; Tyler Reddick's good faith play for RCR; NASCAR's rain drama ... and dilemma

Hi, welcome to the NASCAR NBC podcast. I'm your host Nate Ryan, joined by Jeff Burton here in the NBC Sports Charlotte studios we're talking on the Monday. After which should have been the Saturday night, race at Daycare National Speedway, instead it was the Sunday regular season finale at Daytona. I don't really want to cause PTSD here to remind you of how much rain coverage of we

had to do. We had to tap dance through a lot of delays, but it all worked out. Yeah, thanks for being here after all that. It's fun to be here. We had the opportunity to do over 13 hours of rain feel. So I hate I hate that for the fans that went there in person, but on the other hand, we had some cool content. We showed

some old races. We showed part of the race from Saturday. We showed a lot of different stuff. So that part of it was a that's just another opportunity to be involved in this sport. So I'm not going to complain about that, but I will not lie. When I got home last night, I was exhausted. I had had enough. Yeah, I needed a break. I got I

got a text from the Tarte late last night of I think you just sent a gift of like a guy collapsing this couch. And I I felt for you guys. I did not go to Daytona, but of course I was watching from afar and enthralled with all of the action in Sundays regular season finale. As always, this turned out to be a barn burner, a lot

of wrecks. I want to start with the winner Austin Dylan to critical moves that he made Jeff. First was the one that got him through the big wreck that happened just before the red flag and that got Austin Dylan into the lead. Austin Dylan said it was instinctive. The 99 when he kind of got turned and up in the air. I saw that. So my immediate

reaction was get to do the flat because I knew he was headed up the hill. You start to understand certain things of which way cars are going to momentum is going to take cars. So he's going up the track. The next thing is going to happen is somebody's going to get clipped and turn back left. So you're hoping that you make it far enough forward before

that car comes back across. And I'm going to go to the bossy apron or my direction change is really going to hurt when I get clipped and go up the hill. So the bottom is like advantageous because you always have an out. But in the same sentence, some of the hardest hits you're going to take are when you get right reared and shot into the fence.

So let's discuss that move because I mean it's instinctive. But at the same time, I remember you came on the podcast recently and we're talking about this about I think it was a jab Burton decision during a wreck about all the things you have to do to get through a wreck knowing that you're probably not going to make it. It's instinctive. And sometimes those instincts, you

know, they work and sometimes they don't. You know, every one of those drivers in that wreck were doing what just came natural to them by far the majority of them. It didn't work out for because it couldn't have. You go back and watch that wreck that wreck and like nobody did anything wrong that could have avoided the wreck. It didn't. It's just super hard to track

is the luck part. Right. The part that's not luck is when it is a decision to be made and you make the right one. But anytime you get through a when you're in the middle of a big wreck a day to tell a day and you get through it. Every one of those there's an element of luck. Is what Austin says there? Does that make sense

that it does maybe just be natural to just go to the bottom go the apron go the flat? Did you approach it so it. You know all you can do is look at what's happening in front of you and respond to it. I mean the two cards that I thought were that close to making it through was Harrison and Ty Dylan. They were inches away. They

were on the bottom. The track was it was early in the wreck. The track was clittering to the top and the track was wet so it ties fun and they were both on the bottom and then Harris is behind him on the apron and they both made contact and that made the way for the next guy had an opportunity was Austin. Harvick had an opportunity and

the cold just closed up and you know but if you go back and watch that big glob of cars none of those guys had a shot. None of those guys had a shot. To me it was Harvick Austin Ty and Harrison those are the four that had a possibility and only one made it through. Yeah and it looked like Harvick. You're from when I could clean

from the video. It looked like he kind of hit the gas and he did. Yeah. It looked like he was going to get through and then moves the cars just went like this. There's a whole go you know and that's and that's the thing that I think it um it was really cool watching that because from being a driver I know there's times when you're going

to wreck that you have to accelerate right. I have to go against your instinct and accelerate if it doesn't work now you're going to hit them harder than you were going to hit them but that was his only shot and he did accelerate and then it just I reminded me of um I've had the good fortune to fly in the front seat of a lot of

airplanes and there's clouds that you don't like to fly through clouds if you don't have to because you know what's in them and sometimes the clouds just you know what I mean next thing you know you're in them and that thing just closed up so quickly and it's just there's nothing you get it done it's nothing at all. So as I mentioned and you did mention

that the track was wet and we're going to get to that eventually but first I want to handle everything to happen around the Dylan wind. So the second move I said two critical moves by Austin Dylan that move got him in the lead then the red flag comes almost a four hour delay they restart the race with Austin Dylan lead on the restart he actually gets

passed by Austin Cindrick who ends up leading the next 13 laps and before Austin Dylan's able to pass him was three to go he makes this maneuver Jeff in which he gets to him and then in turn one he makes kind of light contact Austin said it just kind of happened um I was kind of planning on getting a bigger run than that before and pulling

out to the right and I figured that the two was going to be a sit and duck because they were going to go with me the Chevy's would and then we'd race it out from there but he just kind of got loose as I got to his back bumper that time into into one and I'd kind of been given that same shove I don't know if

I just caught him a little more momentum that lap than the others but when he got free I just kind of moved up the track. So I want to say this was controversial but it was kind of different from what we normally see with a pass for the lead at Daytona it being you know there wasn't a bump in a run like a short track but

it sort of looked like that a little so I and I want so let me back up one second yeah so I thought there was actually three moments I want to add one to it so on the restart you mentioned he had the leading got passed yeah he fell back like fourth right right and then he got down the back straight away they got a run

the the 77 car was behind him with landing castle driving it and I believe that Kyle Bush may have been behind him he pushed the 77 and pushed the three and then when Austin got cleared himself with the guys on the outside he had a decision to make when he got to when he got to Martin Truex Jr. and he instinctively just jumped to the outside

and was able to clear him and then get himself to second. So that move that ability to get that momentum down the back and then get himself to second ultimately led to him being able to take the lead away and then you could seem start to fool back you know trying to slow down slow down to get some momentum Austin Hendrix said in his post race

interview he was watching that happen and he was trying to drag the break and do everything he could to get back to them did not let him get momentum on him but he could what not able to do it and then it's hard for me to say that Austin Dylan intentionally pushed him out of the way because how much push and do we see it Daytona

right all the way around yeah I like to think I it's hard for me to imagine that Austin knew he could push him and getting loose and grab around him on the outside without pushing him and spinning in front of him and taking him out also you know what I'm saying so I don't I don't know I don't know that Austin intentionally did that right I

can't say that he didn't because there's so much on the line but it's hard it's yeah I don't know I don't know what happened there I don't know I don't know he missed it he didn't really meant to hit him but we see people hit people all the time at Daytona Tallah they tell a day goes not like it's like you said it's not like a

bump and run at other racetracks right I don't know how you would have known what the outcome was going to be by pushing a guy in the turn one that's what's good to me and again after hearing what Austin said he described it the way you did that it wasn't like he meant to give him that show that's just what he been doing the whole time

and he just sort of slipped free of him and went off the track and Austin Cindrick said that I got hit by another race car going on 490 200 miles an hour glad I saved it glad I just shot to come back through the field but he's racing for a playout spot it totally expect to get drove through it just kind of a matter of time

but pretty bombed you know I mean we had a shot to win today made Tekman arts Ford Mustang was obviously quick we put ourselves in position not to scratch on it just dang it I mean he knew so he's pretty sure he did an old purpose I mean Austin Stringett said he took it pretty well right because he's a Ford with three Chevy's behind him I

was surprised it took as long as it did essentially right I mean they waited until three to go and they could have done it any time of four or five laps I think with 10 to go they were lined up behind him Richard Childers we played him on the radio saying wait till the last lap wait till the last lap and I'm like no no no

you can't wait till the last lap you got if you get that run you got to take it and that's what again that's what's interesting interesting to me is that I'm not for a minute saying that Austin didn't get in the back of Syndra trying to mess him up I'm not saying that I just don't know that's what happened he could have taken that run and

jumped to the outside of him got the guys behind him he's pretty sure they were going with him yeah but you know I who knows it's just racing with the damn whole season on the line I mean really yeah I mean you're 3 to go the Daytona and literally it's your whole season I mean that's crazy do you think about it like that I didn't I

I never really. I wouldn't say I didn't get in that situation but I you know every day. I didn't know that I don't know that I didn't really go or playoff that we do and then in the regular season that we do now that I'm on the other side of the fence I'm just fascinated by what drivers teams can do you know I just it's fascinating

to me and then the the results of that effort you know your syndic your pissed off if you're Dylan your dancing victory lane and you got life and you now have made the playoffs and that matters like that matters not only for today it matters for tomorrow because you now a playoff team and that's a tremendous amount of selling power for sponsorship for your place in

the sport as a driver it's really important it's very powerful yeah and certainly for Richard Childress and Richard Childress Racing which now has two cars in the playoffs with Tyler Riddick Austin Dylan RSC said it after the race it was it was a million dollar move literally literally that car getting the playoff he said means it's a seven figure difference and if Austin Dylan doesn't make

the playoffs wonder if RSC went and huged Tyler Riddick after well it's funny bring that up because that was the next thing I wanted to talk about was the fact that Austin Dylan had Tyler Riddick riding shotgun all the way to finish Tyler Riddick was the good teammate he pushed Austin Dylan all the way he said he never intended to get online fortunately I was able

to make the right moves at the right time to get close you know me and Noah being right there about behind Austin and then when Austin made his move on the two it was kind of perfect timing for me to get around Noah and the two both and they get just back bumper and make sure that anyone coming for the three is gonna have to wreck

the eight. So that was with Tyler Riddick. Yeah what did when they what was the the roller skating thing when they oh roller derby he was yeah he was like the blocker yeah yeah yeah yeah it's a good way to look at it I hadn't thought about that. So the other thing is that you know that says to me that Tyler Riddick has the word with

all and the self awareness that I even though I'm leaving Richard children's racing I drive for Richard children's racing and the respect that he showed on Sunday to help RCR get another car in the playoffs is a sign of his character. Now I know that Richard is upset because he's leaving that's not a character flaw it's not a character flaw to make a decision that you

think is in your best interest for your career that's not a character fall you can have a disagreement about it but it isn't mean you're a bad person and Richard's not a bad person either I know Richard really well Richard's a really good person but feelings get hurt and moments like that is a good reminder that I'm not sure if I'm gonna be able to do

it. So I'm a good reminder that Tyler Riddick understands his place Tyler Riddick respects RCR and Richard now after all that's happened can now look at Tyler Riddick in a different light and I think that's good for the future of Tyler Riddick success assuming something crazy doesn't happen and he doesn't leave at the end of this year that goes a long way to helping that team.

A lot of things happen for RCR on Sunday afternoon not just Austin Dylan winning that race in my opinion and I've said to you before I think Richard Childress the best thing he can do for his company is put as much effort as he can into that eight car to win as many races he can between now and the time Tyler Riddick leaves because all that

Richard Childress is doing is recruiting the next driver the next crew chief the next tire changers the next sponsors all that stuff that's what he's doing with that eight car and you know how you do that right you win with it and I think a lot happened on Sunday that was a really positive very very positive for RCR. No it's a really good point with Tyler

Riddick slated the lead for 2311 racing in the 2024 season that clearly as you know surely that was recognized by Richard Childress that he is not forgotten that hey I'm in the Cup Series because Richard Childress Racing gave me that ride after I went to this team and won the Xfandy Series Championship in 2019 our season is a really good thing. I've never seen the guy

who put me in the car in 2020 and that's why he's going to 2311 racing so it meant a lot to Richard I want to get your take on one more thing on that Jeff it meant a lot to Austin Dylan as well he Austin Dylan had this really interesting quote after the race in the media center. I'm in Tyler made his decision a couple months

ago I could hold him and congratulated him and for me being a owner's son sometimes comes with caveats and I wanted to make sure that I had nothing to do with the reasons that that he was leaving and when I called him I said, hey man I'm just making sure that I was going to have a chance to get into your team. He's like no you've

been an amazing team I love working with you Austin I love me and Alexa both really enjoy being around you guys and I'm like well look man congratulations on your deal let's go try and win some races for RCR of the next year and a half and for me I was none of his negotiations talks or anything so it was more like he's been you know

in a way inspirational to me to pick up my game because he's got so much speed and he shows it constantly. So not only is this really good I think you're right for the company but the relationship between these drivers not that we question it but obviously it's solid. It's important. Austin is aware he has self-awareness too that with being Richard children's grandson it's a different

ballgame and and he always has to fight and Richard always has to fight the perception of favoritism the perception of those things and Joe gives him a fact to fight it with with his grandson. It's just it's natural people are always always getting this he's getting that and they've got to go they got to double down to show people that we're not showing favoritism and if

you are making decisions it's because it isn't the best interest of that car not that driver because he's my grandson. Difficult decisions have to be made and and you just have to make sure when you make it on when you make it on for the right reason it's not for family I don't think Richard children is cut from that cloth. I think Richard children is willing

to sit down on Austin and saying it had the tough conversations with him. I think Joe gives us willing to sit down with his grandson have the tough conversations but I don't think there's but but you got to go actually above and beyond because all those people in the shop unless you're working on that specific team everyone else which is by far the majority of people

they have to know that everybody's got the same shot or you or it will erode it will erode and it won't work long term and also important I think that we're going to have to try to reddit having two wins this year Dylan now has one I think probably maybe a little bit more belief in the number three Chevrolet the way that Austin Dylan won this

race this was his fourth cup win but I think it's fair to say the other three had a few question marks I mean the Codeco 600 was a mileage win he won the Daytona 500 and I went taking away from that but he essentially knocked on Marola the way on the final lap to do it and then he won Texas a couple years ago on strategy

so Austin Dylan was asked about Poker's Fox Sports is there any extra satisfaction to winning it if you if they had called it that would be a little bit controversial yes when is there any extra satisfaction to winning it kind of straight up for sure I've got four wins in the Cup Series each one of them mean something different to me for different reasons but you

know the Texas one where I had multiple restart and had to win and cross the checkered flag was probably one of from the driver standpoint one of the most important wins to me and then now this one too is to go through all that and to be able to be I guess clutch in a moment that mattered is important I mean to us in all sports

right is to deliver when you've got the opportunity to deliver and this year I've had some moments that were very close Charlotte being one of them I mean I didn't sleep a lick after the 600 just knowing that we had put ourselves in a position with a tire advantage I made a heck of a move and everybody said man that move was amazing blah blah blah

I mean I thought I was going to be a little bit more than that I kind of gave that away in the turn three because I overdrove it and I got loose and it hadn't done that the whole race but I was carrying a lot more speed than I had the whole race so I that one hurt me and it kept me up a lot in

time so and I'm always kind of pride in myself is is to finish races when I have the opportunity and today it feels good to finish it off. This win and what it means for Austin Dylan Square Jeff and not just the fact that he was able to regain the lead as you detailed like after losing on the restart and essentially put things on the track

back to where they were before the red flag but also just kind of seizing that moment showing like hey I can win in the cup series I can do this so it is important the interesting thing about Austin is he want to truck championship he want to expand his championship he's won the Daytona 500 he's won the Coke 600 Coke 400 Coke zero 400 fair amount

of prestigious events some pretty big pressure situations which again I don't want to take anything away but at the same time people are I understand race those he's not had he's not had a success that's some other people have had yeah he's also I mean I'm not so sure that their equipment is good as enter the motorsports either so you know what I mean so it's

you're always going to be judged the kids grandkids siblings of people in this sport are judged differently than others he just how it is I was judged differently because I race award Jeb is judged differently because his dad raised Austin is judged differently because his grand dad owns the race car how many times you heard people say tie gives only has his ride because of the

grandfather when no crap that's only reason he has his ride but the reason he's kept his ride is because he's succeeded right right right right right right right so so guess what Kyle petty got his ride because his grandfather they weren't hard got a ride because of his dad go through the hall of fame list Allison's go through it and look there's a lot of people

that can't that did this and had success because of their parents were in it first and they had to do it on their own and so Austin's going to be judged because his grandfather owns a race team and he drives a to recar he drives a to recar and those two things collectively put a tremendous amount of spotlight on him and and he has not performed

the way Tyler Rettick this year his outperform Austin last year they were pretty pretty close but this year he's outperforming can Austin Dylan be the anchor driver can he be the anchor driver that's the question or will you will Richard children's need to bring in someone that has as much talent as Tyler Rettick to help carry that team that's the pressure on Austin Dylan and it's

not without a tremendous amount on the line and Austin feel there's no way Austin doesn't feel that pressure works his ass off I know he's got a great work ethic he's one he's one race is he's one championships he's under he's under appreciated in my opinion I'm not saying he's Jimmy Johnson but he's under appreciated listen I never wanted a ton of 500 it's a lot

of people I know had one a day tone of 500 I never want to extend the championship I never want to track championship he must be pretty damn good fair point and I think you're right I think Nepotism obviously comes into play when it comes to racing and guys getting rides but the genetics have to come into play to actually do well eventually I mean Richard

petty gets a ride because he's lead petty son but that's not a reason you want to seven championships yeah I think yeah exactly yeah I mean it's just it's a long it's a very very long list so Austin Dylan steps up to win this race chef but he wasn't the only guy who was outside the playoffs came into this race and you win and stepped up

Eric Jones led 22 laps we saw Justin Haley at the front it was a gamble by the team but he kept it up there for eight laps after he took a shot Michael McDowell bubble Wallace Chris Bush are they all led laps Harrison Burton was also at the front was a good to see I guess when everything was on the line that it matters for these

guys that they do step up yeah I love to see step up moments so if you go back and you look at one way I like to look at races and determine who ran well as you look at stage finishes and if you look at the average finishes of state of of the stages you had a lot of guys that had step up moments and they

brought in my opinion their best on that day and Eric Jones he was out there driving his ass off and he had his hands full and you could see had his hands full but he's like I got it like you know and he was just committed to doing what every had to do I thought and you just mentioned it Nepotism I thought Harrison Harrison yeah he

had Ella he had a really good day he was in there mixing it up all day long made a lot of aggressive moves to get himself there came from the back a couple to three times came from the back he had a strong day Justin Haley you mentioned him he got up there any stayed up there so I thought a lot of drivers that we're in

difficult situations they brought their best and that's great experience for them now it's not as good of experiences was for Austin dillon but it's great experience for them and I think it's something that their teams can look at and say okay we collectively came into this event with the deck with the deck stacked against us with a tremendous amount of line and we put ourselves in

position I think that's I think that's empowering for teams that didn't make the playoffs that because you got with this week when you go to Darlington and I don't it's Martin Truex ever experienced this it's been eight years it's been eight years since he's been out of the playoffs it's going to be your for God yeah we're not talking about you anymore sorry and there's no

other way to say this but I mean Gibbs is going to shift resources and they have to they have to if they're going to be the smart about it they got to take they got to take anything that they can do pit crews that kind of stuff anything they can do if you if there's something that they learned and they don't have time to implement on

every card it's going on those three and by the way if somebody doesn't make it through the first round they get pushed aside to just how it is right you don't I don't blame a team for the smart play there's millions of risks when I was a driver and I got in that situation one way or the other I completely understood when I will could I'm

sitting there saying I need this I expect this and then when it was the other way around and they came to me and said hey you got to give this Hey man got it like you got to do what you got to do and we should have made a playoffs it's it happens every day it happens every day in every shot the team that runs the

best gets the most help because that's when we decision has to be made right what allocation of resources are we going to put toward whatever it is they don't have endless amount of money and when you put resources to a Kevin Harvick and a Rodney Chorders and they deliver results where the resource is going and then it puts pressure on the other teams to say hey

we do this for these guys and they deliver and how do you all got to find a way to do it happens every day those decisions get made every single day in every shop across across all the race not just not just cup racing every race and it has teammates yeah and like you said those guys who came to Daytona and took their shot that showed

the team they've got something to work for maybe in that vein in the future so as I mentioned two critical moves by Austin Dylan two critical calls for NASCAR we'll start with the good one I want to give them credit they waited out this delay as we mentioned after the race got postponed from Saturday night the race ended I thought as it should though the winner

remain the same it did impact the grid you know true X would have gotten in if they call it on lap 139 as opposed to Blaney so I thought the competitive integrity was done a service here by ensuring that the race finished 100% and I think that listen if that race would have started at Sunday night at four o'clock and we race for an hour and

a half and then we waited a three-hour rain to lay out and we're not going to start again until 1130 or midnight or something maybe the same decision is not made if it's on a Sunday night but you had you had a Sunday right yeah you started to race at 10 o'clock which gave you this tremendous window to keep digging and I think the 100% especially

being able to look at the weather and by the way you know I'm up there with film I mean they're in the booth right next to me and when we have these long red flag periods or pre-race or post-race we hang out together like we go and talk and they come over and you know they have a full meteorologist they have access to the national weather

service they have cool they have incredible radars like they were working their guts out to make sure all the NASCAR officials have access to all of that and so when they look and they're like if this front gets through the way we think it's going to get through we've got a big window opening then they're going to wait it out if that weather report would have

been it's going to rain for the next six hours and it could rain after that too the same decision wouldn't have been made right then all that information they took that information and they said okay we got a shot we're going to take it we're saying it's going to happen is we're going to sit here for three hours and we've got to come back and say

oh we shouldn't have done it but we owe it to the fans for them to see this race in under checkered and I that's 100% right call the same call would be right if the weather didn't look like that and they said hey we're done it's no way we're going to get this done that would have been okay to so the other big call that made

or maybe didn't get made of course was the big 13 car pile up that happened right before the red flag for the rain I just want to bring this up check because it's the third time in two years that this is affected a race we had Kevin Harvick at Texas in 2020 had what might have been a race when in car hit the damp spot on

the track when there was mist and he crashed last year at New Hampshire Kyle Bush Martin Tricks Jr. Denny Hammond all crash when the tracks wet and NASCAR was a late on throwing yellow I'm an unaware of any changes that have been made in the tower around the track since New Hampshire last year but it seems like I don't know what can be done but it

seems like NASCAR has to do something to be a little more proactive because I understand that you know there's only so much you can do in terms of a two and a half mile racetrack and if it's raining in turn one it's not in turn four but at the same time when you got all these drivers saying hey this this was happening this is affecting us

it impacted too many cars yesterday unfortunately so I agree with you that clearly the result was wrong clearly they drove in a turn one and a track was wet and it was raining I do not compare what happened at Daytona to what happened at New Hampshire because what happened at New Hampshire was there was a lot of information that it was raining and the raining rain

was getting harder and a decision wasn't made as quick as it should have been made I don't think that's the case this time now there's a video of a fan in the stand saying it's raining it's raining I've seen it but I also have seen no NCAR camera views that showed it raining so I've been to people are going to believe me when I say this

I've been to Daytona before in the old cup garage remember those oh yeah and I'm standing on the turn one in the turn one side of the garage and it's raining on the turn four side of the garage and I'm talking about a garage that's like two cars go together like this right on this side it's not floor to weather and it did that floor about

three to five minutes there were little sprinkles over here but it's raining here I don't know other than NASCAR saying rains coming we're going to throw the caution in this case I don't know with the technology that's available to them today that something could have been done different other than what I just said the problem I got with other than what I just said is that

if they throw the caution because rain is coming and chase Elliott is leading the race what does everybody say it opens yourself up to a pretty big pile of conspiracy theories being tossed out there in favoritism and all that I get it so we the sport the industry NASCAR is got to find a way to not let what happened Sunday happen again there's no in my

world there's no ifans or butts about that but with every bit of information that I have I don't know how they would have thrown the caution before they threw it in this case this case is not the same as the case in New Hampshire I vaguely remember the Kevin Harve I remember it but I don't remember it in full that doesn't all my opinion is my

opinion but it doesn't change the fact that there was a mass of wreck in turn one because it was raining period into story so what do we got to do to keep that from happening again in my opinion on Sunday the only way to do that would have been throw the caution before it started raining on the racetrack because I don't believe it was raining on

the racetrack on the racetrack until they got there so what do you do you put a spotter where did the NASCAR spotters go like it wasn't the the the pace car is somewhere between pit exit and turn one on the infield of the racetrack wasn't raining there yeah no I get it so I get it it's a huge place and I mean there's so much it's

steak and one rain and I'll turn to you that was the other strange saying it literally rain it literally rained in this hundred yard I'm making it up hundred yard section it literally that's where it rained it didn't rain in front of it or after it when they were approaching turn one it was not raining it didn't start raining until they got there from every end

car camera review we saw we even had spotters saying hey it's started to pick up keep digging keep digging it wasn't raining enough for them to say hey man it's freaking raining you just load out you need to slow it we didn't hear that so it's it it is it is they wrecked yeah they wrecked it was raining and they wrecked so what do we do

to fix it it's a difficult conversation now because the reason I agree to they got arrested I I want them to fix it but the reason I want them to fix it is also the reason they shouldn't throw the yellow that's because there's so much at stake that you don't want them to presumptively or preemptively throw the yellow and have an impact the playoffs so like

I get like they're in like this is the ultimate rock in a hard place situation in some ways especially dealing with unpredictable Florida weather and the size of this racetrack I just I think that we're gonna have to say here's how we're gonna attempt to address this or fix this but maybe with the the understanding that as you're saying there's just there's only so much we

can actually do we can really do the conversations are underway about okay what's the next step and you know I know they're underway as as they should be like what is the next step are there were sensors are there how sensitive do you make the sensors huh I know these are things I really don't want to I mean I stood down the rabbit so here's what

even makes it more difficult I've stood at racetracks before with my son racing in a late model or a canine car or a truck hell we're at Martin'sville I think it was pretty sure as Martin'sville and I'm getting wet and they're racing like hell and nobody like it's and I'm like they got a better call and they just are no spend wise fun nobody had any

problem I don't know like how do you put other than if you get any moisture at all you got a caution other than that I don't know man it's just a complicated thing there's just been so many times we raced when there was moisture in the air even a little bit of rain other than just saying okay we're gonna put some sensors out there and if

we get any moisture at all we're dropping the caution I don't know it's just I mean to your point I remember a race that Denny Hamlin won at Martin'sville in 2008 when it was a mist for three hours and you guys you were in that race you you just got through it like it didn't affect a lot it didn't affect the track enough but yeah you

probably should have had no regulation of that race but I know I should remember every race it's not Virginia it's a cup race just kidding all right well this oh wait I don't know now we had a caution we had a caution and then there was controversy about how the cars get lined up yeah you want to comment we have to comment on it we can't

just gloss over this have at it man I know that you got some feedback on this so have it so I don't I understand a race fan at home we have a lot of rules and they're confusing racing's more complicated than people realize it's not just cars going in circles yeah I mean fairness they're confusing football is confusing too I hill I don't understand half of

that when when a caution comes out and you can't maintain speed they don't take a snapshot picture of you and you're sitting stopped in a race track or going slow on the race track and people keeping maintaining reasonable speed and they put that guy back in front of you that's not how this works right so you use loop data you go to the latest loop but

if you if you can't maintain pace then you lose that spot and you blend in wherever it is that you blend in and I don't know why driver is that you're doing it right now why drivers and teams don't know that rule I think it's got confused because in their heads that was the finish of the race and they were thinking that caution locked the race

in because it was over it froze the field and ask for a look at video in the term where everybody was at the time of caution but that was caution it was yeah it was a caution right it wasn't the start finish line if you if you go cross checkered the start finish line at the end of the race that's absolutely that's absolutely that's absolutely that's

absolutely that's what wherever you are yeah that's absolutely that's like my the caution to your point is reasonable speed and it's not reasonable speed for like sorry to the for car it's not reasonable speed for like 30 feet and then you stop when you hit two cars it's reasonable speed if the three car if the three car would have had to slow down grind his brakes

slow down the four comes out ahead of the three the four can maintain pace even with a wrecked race car the four is a leader right I wasn't doing them with a car that was wrecked I park reigned same damn thing it started raining they didn't get the caution thrown in time I'm leading the race big wreck off turn four I plow into the wall black

I mean it's destroyed I'm stood in the gas kept that thing going maintain pace got to the pace car I was able to stay behind the pace car I wanted to race if I would have pounded the wall it could not have maintained pace I wouldn't want to race that was 1999 or something 1999 to only 10 spring race 90 nothing changed right right the loop

data is the loop data but nothing changed in regard to maintaining pace and I just think the people got in their head that this was the end of the race so you got a lot me in wherever I am and but that's not how it works and so there's not a conspiracy theory against Kevin Harvey was not a conspiracy theory to get richer children's the three

car in victory lane it was the rule yeah it was the rule yeah and oh by the way when they restart the race the four was out and none of it really ended up mattering it's just something like about for a few of that doesn't even matter to me you should just know the rules there was no controversy if they never would have got going back

green there was no controversy the only controversy is if people don't know the rule well that's not a controversy that's not understanding what happened controversy is to driver driving in the corner and a flyer crash each other and one guy comes out you're like well he wrecked me he wrecked me controversy is NASCAR changing the policy controversy is throwing the caution before it rains so I

just I'm I should know better than look at social media I'm looking at social media and I'm getting all this but Jeff my God but Jeff my God but Jeff my guy and I'm like so that and so I applaud Scott Miller for coming over during our broadcast live here's how this works and and the one thing he said that I didn't that thought money did

up a little bit it doesn't matter if you're in the wreck even if Austin Dylan hadn't have hidden anything and he came in there and he had to slow down to keep from hitting something and somebody else crashed up against the wall it comes out in front of him and they're able to maintain pace that crash car still the leader as long as he can maintain

pace right wasn't about being in the record odd it's about being able to maintain pace all that will be written into Daytona lore certainly another memorable race and you'll remember it yeah and that brings us to a quote today about Daytona it's our motormiles of the race presented by eBay Motors this is a new feature in which we talk about a notable quote from the race

this one was from Austin Dylan Austin Dylan was asked Peter Stratton T.S. J Sports Austin in 2019 you were leading this race and then the big rack happened that ultimately gave Justin Haley the win just how full circle is the moment now three years later you got the win because of a big rack also in turn one you know it's that's actually very funny about Daytona

and I didn't even think about that but I've always thought about you know I tore down the fence probably one of the worst wrecks in NASCAR history come back when the Daytona 500 2019 I did feel about as confident you could feel out front leading that pack and it's cool how this place just I don't know there's something about Daytona and when you pull through the

tunnel things just happen here it's it's exciting place and always create some kind of drama for sure you've been going to Daytona for a very long time what's your take on the world center of racing it's place in NASCAR history I mean it really is people talk about the Minneapolis Motor Speedway but as you just heard Austin Dylan say when you go through the tunnel Daytona

it's that similar sort of feeling it's it's you know to me Daytona and Darlington are the you know they're the two hallmarks of NASCAR and what makes Daytona so crazy unlike Darlington is it anything can happen you know Darlington if you look at the list of winners it's almost a hall of fame right yeah yeah and Daytona offers much more opportunity for strange things to happen

and it's just you know ever since the restrictor plate or the reduction in speed I already it is you do that it's a new ballgame it's changed it's changed the world in regard to super speedway racing and then Daytona being you know the birthplace in NASCAR it just it just adds to the folklore just adds to the history and anything can happen and it's a real

we say that every time we go there but it's real there's so many people that can win that race on Sunday that it was all real and we're not gonna have that many people this Sunday at Darlington they could say that it's just super speedway racing as bizarre it's just bizarre always memorable that was our motor miles of the race presented by eBay Motors at eBay

Motors you can be your own pit crew with 122 million parts right your fingertips get the right parts at the right prices eBay Motors dot com let's ride okay so you've got to do NASCAR American motor miles right here at this very desk so before John Barnes yells at me I better get us out of here but just really quick you brought up Darlington we just

left Daytona Darlington next to open the playoffs how wide open are these playoffs chase Elliott's got 40 playoff points in first Kyle Larson's in second with 25 but then you and I were talking for the show Austin Dylan's in 16th with five 20 points separating second from 16th so it feels like these are pretty wide open it's really wide open and then you look at the

three racetracks you're getting ready to go to Southern 500 Kansas and Bristol Kansas is super wide run all over the racetrack Bristol was Bristol Southern 500 to Southern 500 you better bring your A game when you wake up Saturday morning and you're rolling through the gates at Darlington you better be ready to go because if you're not they're gonna hand your ass back to you and

that racetrack will do that too and so you start right off the bat with perhaps the hardest racetrack they're in the Rollboard the two hardest racetracks in my eyes on the circuit and you start race one of the playoffs Southern 500 go get yourself all get started Sunday on NASCAR NBC Jeff thanks for being here. Thank you buddy enjoy it. We appreciate Jeff Burton for joining

us after a long weekend of rain and rain racing at Daytona National Speedway always great having the mayor's perspective on all things NASCAR thanks as well to senior producer John Barnes and motor sports manager Emily Conboy for coordinating Jeff Burton's appearance on the NASCAR NBC podcast as you heard we taped this on camera just before NASCAR America motor melts which is on every Monday and Wednesday

at 6 p.m. Eastern on peacock and you can see the video version of the video version of the day. The NASCAR NBC podcast on the motor sports on NBC YouTube channel subscribe if you visit lots of great bonus content highlights features and interviews from NASCAR as well as Indy Car MSA Supercross Moto GP Monster Jam all on the motor sports on NBC YouTube channel check it

out. The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will start this Sunday at Darlington Raceway and pre-race coverage will begin Sunday at 5 p.m. Eastern on USA Network. Check out NBC sports dot com slash NASCAR for detailed schedules start times and coverage as always. Also a brief note the NASCAR NBC podcast will be on hiatus the next couple of weeks so stay tuned for that. And if you have

any NASCAR NBC podcast feedback you can send me on Twitter at Nate Ryan's. Thanks again for listening to the NASCAR NBC podcast.