5 Dumbest mistakes that cost drivers wins

5 Dumbest Mistakes that cost drivers wins

By Brian Cotnoir

In the handful of NASCAR races run in 2020, we’ve seen two drivers—Ryan Blaney & Chase Elliott—lose out on races on questionable late pit strategies.  A late race caution with 2-3 laps left led to the tough decision to forfeit their track position to pit for fresh tires and splash of fuel to avoid being left out as a “sitting duck”, but in both of these instances, they did not work out.

On Social Media the calls were called everything from unnecessary to risky, to just plain dumb.  However; that’s just racing.   There is no risk without reward, sure I think Elliott could have won if he had stayed out in the Coca Cola 600, but I’m just a fan, I don’t work for the racing team, I have no clue what goes into the logic of on track decisions or race strategy, I just watch the races and comment with my thoughts.  It probably wasn’t the best decision to pit that late in the race, but it’s far from the dumbest decisions in racing, and I have 5 examples of dumb decisions that cost drivers wins.

5.) Marcos Ambrose stalls his car while leading under caution at Sonoma

Marcos Ambrose came close to winning his very first Cup Series Race at the 2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350.  While attempting to save fuel under caution, Ambrose shut off his engine—a common strategy to save fuel in some races—and as he rode up the hill into turn one, he stalled his car.  Ambrose managed to get his car restarted, but several drivers had passed him by then. 

Instead of resuming his spot as the race leader, Ambrose was forced to drop back to 7^th place because he violated NASCAR’s policy of maintaining speed while under caution.  Ambrose wound up finishing in the 6^th positon, while Jimmie Johnson scored the victory.

4.) Rubens Barrichello Team Orders him to give up Victory

I’m just going to come out in say it: Team Orders are dumb.   That is the one thing I can’t stand about Formula 1, I think the best driver that day should win, and teams should not be ordering their drivers to give up wins and track positions to benefit their teammate.   This of course is nothing new, to Formula 1, and it’s been going on since practically the inception.  The worst offender to this of course was the Scuderia Ferrari team at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix.

Ferrari Team Principle Jean Todt ordered his driver, Rubens Barrichello to let his teammate Michael Schumacher pass him on the final lap to win the race.  Schumacher was already the 2-time defending Formula 1 champion at this point in the season, and had almost double points of his closest competitor, Juan Pablo Monyota.  Barrichello reluctantly obliged, and let Schumacher pass him out of the final corner, which led to a hail of boos from the crowd.   Ferrari & it’s drivers were penalized for the move, and this lead to the ban of team orders the following year in 2003 (a rule that would be lifted in 2010).  Schumacher would however return the favor to Barrichello later that season at the United States Grand Prix, when he slowed down on the front stretch of the final lap to let Barrichello take the win.

3.) J.R. Hildebrand wrecks trying to get around lapped car loses Indy 500

In one of the most infamous final laps in history, J.R. Hildebrand was one straight away from clinching the 2011 Indianapolis 500.  Hildebrand was leading by several car lengths on his next competitor, and was so close to the finish line that I’m sure he could taste the glass of cold milk that awaited in him victory lane.

With the lapped car of Charlie Kimball just ahead, Hildebrand could have slowed down as he cautiously approached him and still would have been able to cruise carefree to immortality….but that’s not what happened.  Instead Hildebrand went off the racing line coming out the final corner and struck the wall, severely damaging his right front tire.  Hildebrand valiantly tried to drag his wounded race car across the finish line, but it was too little too late, and he was passed by Dan Wheldon, and would have to settle for 2^nd place, and a spot in racing infamy.

2.) Mark Martin pulls into victory lane one lap before the finish

Mark Martin, NASCAR Hall of Famer, 5-Time Runner up for the NASCAR Cup Series Champion, and all around fan favorite;  he excelled in all forms of racing.  Martin particularly shined in the Grand National Series where he was the Series All-Time winner, until Kyle Busch came by and obliterated his record in 2011.   Martin won 49 races in NASCAR’s second-tier series, but that number could have been 50 if it wasn’t for one boneheaded move at Bristol in 1994.

Mark Martin was leading the Goody’s 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway in his iconic #60 Winn-Dixie Ford.  The race was going to end under caution (as some races back then did),  thinking the race was over, Martin pulled down pit road and started heading towards Victory Lane.  Only problem: Martin hadn’t crossed the finish line yet!  Martin had mistakenly forgot that he was on the white-flag lap and thought he had already won the race.  Martin’s blunder passed the victory on to David Green (who would go on to win the Grand National Series Championship that year), and Martin would be relegated to an 11^th place finish.

1.)  Bjorn Wirdheim stops before finish line costs him a victory at Monaco

Monaco!  The most prestigious and glamorous Street Circuit in the World!   For almost a century, drivers have gone to the streets of Monte Carlo hoping to cement their place in history.  Swedish Bjorn Wirdheim was about to win the Formula 3000 race at Monaco in 2003.   As is typical when a driver has a large lead and is about to win the European Formula Racing Series, the drivers slows down and pulls along the wall, to celebrate and props to his team….only problem; Wirdheim had not yet crossed the finish line!   Wirdheim came to an almost complete stop in front of his pit before realizing his error, and punching the accelerator, but it was too little too late, and Nicolas Kiesa wound up taking the victory in Monaco. 

Despite that embarrassing blunder, Wirdheim did go on to win that seasons Formula 3000 International Championship.  He served as Test driver for Jaguar form 2003-2004, but never did make a formal F1 start, and now races sports cars in Europe.