This will be my one chance in a million to provide some insight that no one else may be able to from my background. I was Chief of Timing and Scoring with ASA (American Speed Association) for the whole 2001 season and part of 2002. Now, I am not versed on NASCAR's Timing and Scoring rules like I was with my employer's at the time; however, I know enough about what happened to possibly clear up some of the confusion. NASCAR made the right call, no question bout it. Here is why.
I am going to keep this as simple as possible. Each car is fitted with a device called a transponder. It is mounted behind the driver on the roll bar, in the same location on each vehicle. Now, every track that NASCAR competes on has scoring loops installed at various points on the track. I would guess, don't know, that Daytona has them installed about every 250 yards or so. All a scoring loop is is a wire installed in a 1/8" to 1/4" cut in the track, usually 1" deep in the surface. When the transponder crosses over that wire, it emits a signal and then the signal hits the wire and is sent to the computer in the tower, hence a car # and time comes up as well as that cars position on the track. Just a little lesson for those that wanted to know.
Long story short, as the leaders made the turn for home off of turn 4, you can pretty much throw out the rulebook in this instance cause it is the Race Directors call, decision. The drivers safety and the ability to put the cars back on the track under racing situations properly lined up are crucial. This would have been almost impossible given the location of the accident in relation to the leaders and the final scoring loop, which of course is at the start finish line. Had this accident occured in turn 3 in between turns 3 and 4 I am certain the Race Director would have thrown the yellow, the reason is that the leaders would still have been in the turn and would not have a clear view of the start finish line.
Again, it is the Race Directors call at that time. It is a split second decision that had to be made and the correct one was. Both Mark Martin and Kevin Harvick race cars for a living. If Mark Martin eased on the gas, shame on him. I would venture a guess that his spotter said into his ear, crash crash so Mark thought yellow yellow. Should have stayed in the gas, clear track ahead.