The free pass: When it's better to receive, and so on

Ibelieve in second chances, but third, fourth and fifth chances are pushing it. NASCAR's free pass to a lap-down driver helps keep the dog (in this case, the Lucky Dog) in the hunt ... but there's a fine line between keeping things competitive (one free pass) and handing out charity (four free passes).

Should the 48 team hold their heads high after rallying to finish 13th despite falling as far back as 36th, three laps down? Most definitely -- in the current system, that's quite a rally and the crew worked feverishly to get the car back up to speed. Did Johnson have a top-10 car before he was down on power? Absolutely.

But to say he deserved that finish any more than any of the 17 drivers posting lead-lap finishes behind Johnson is ludicrous. With the exception of Paul Menard, they never fell a lap down. Johnson passed a lot of cars late, but had he not been given a free lap four times over, those passes wouldn't have been for position.

I admit there is a bit of added excitement when a driver, despite some issues, can still be in the mix, but I also believe you should earn what you're given. After all, this is racing and not a bread line, right? No other sport assists a player or team who is struggling, so why should NASCAR?

First of all, it's rare for a driver to receive multiple free passes in a race. The only time it really happens is on the big tracks: Daytona, Talladega, Pocono. Cars rarely are lapped at those "monsters," allowing for one driver to be multiple laps down and the only driver a lap down at the same time, a la Jimmie Johnson on Monday at Pocono.

But the truth is this isn't a problem at 95 percent of the races.

Secondly, if a driver has earned the right to get the free pass, why should he be limited? Let's say Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a flat tire and goes a lap down. He works his tail off to be the first car a lap down and gets the free pass. Forty laps later he makes a green-flag stop but goes a lap down when the caution comes out. Again, he works his way to the free pass position but because he's already earned one, he gets skipped this time and is relegated to finish off the lead lap? Where's the fairness in that?

We are talking about a rule change because of an exception, not the norm. Some drivers are going to benefit from a freebie on more than one occasion. There already are plenty of rules throughout a race; let's leave the free pass alone despite its wackiness once or twice a season.