MOTOR RACING / VINCE KOWALICK : Saugus Speedway Also Sacks Instant Replay

Upon further review . . . maybe it wasn’t such a good idea, after all.

Racing officials at Saugus Speedway have finally realized what National Football League officials discovered.

And--like their NFL counterparts--they did it the hard way.

For the past two seasons, officials at Saugus have been reviewing videotape replays of on-track incidents as a tool to help make judgments and assess penalties.

But last week, track officials pulled the plug on instant replay, deciding the innovation ultimately created more problems than it solved.

Chalk up another one for the human element.

“It became like Big Brother was watching,” said Monte Monteleone, racing director at Saugus since 1986 and the track’s chief official. “Playing it back and watching (the replay) while the race is going on often causes more controversy than the accident in the first place.

“We decided we needed to see with our eyes.”

For years, the races at Saugus have been videotaped from the press box for the purpose of reviewing serious accidents--as well as simply for posterity.

Two years ago Monteleone, who surveys the action from above while communicating via two-way headsets with officials stationed throughout the track, decided to experiment.

With a monitor beside him, Monteleone began reviewing accidents and incidents when officials couldn’t agree on what they had witnessed.

“The racing had become so competitive and the points battle so intense with these drivers, we thought it would be a good tool so that a wrong decision wasn’t made,” Monteleone said.

“If I’d seen somebody spin somebody out, I would look at the video to verify if what I saw as correct.” Funny thing about video cameras, though. Everyone and their mechanic seems to own one these days. And those who race stock cars usually make certain at least one camcorder is pointed their way whenever they streak onto the track.

When word leaked that videotape was being used in officiating, Monteleone soon found himself being asked to review replay after replay after the final checkered flag of the evening.

“I’d be hearing: ‘I’ve got my camera right here, you want to see it?’ ” Monteleone said. “ ‘Here . . . look what my video shows.’ ”

Added Monteleone: “I sometimes wouldn’t get out of there until 3 or 4 in the morning.” Of course, delays in the evening’s proceedings didn’t exactly tantalize the crowd--or drivers, who coasted in circles under a yellow flag while officials scrutinized replays.

Upon further review . . . and review . . . and review . . . Monteleone decided to scrap the idea.

“I was in an argument with one driver who kept saying, ‘Look what my video shows,’ ” Monteleone said. “I said, ‘I can’t. I have to go by what my video shows.’ Making that statement left a bad taste in my mouth. I shouldn’t have to do that. I decided it’s what I see that matters.

“There’s gonna be a little bit of bumping and a little shoving, but that’s short-track racing. If a driver uses his skill to snooker the guy in front of him and he gets away with it, that’s racing. If he doesn’t get away with, he gets put to the rear.”

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Add further review: Officials at Saugus didn’t need a camera last weekend to rule that Dave Blankenship of Reseda had committed a violation en route to an apparent victory in the 30-lap Grand American Modified main event. Blankenship was penalized one position for making an early move on a restart. The victory was awarded to Rod Johnson of Canyon Country.

Blankenship remained second to Dave Phipps of Simi Valley in the division’s points standings. Johnson is sixth.

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Southwest Tour: The NASCAR Southwest Tour rookie-of-the-year points lead changed hands for the 10th time this season when Craig Raudman of Redding moved ahead of Dale Williams of Sacramento by a single point after finishing 10th in last weekend’s 100-lap race at Colorado International Speedway near Denver.

Lance Hooper of Palmdale, a former Sportsman champion at Saugus, is in fourth place, one point ahead of Keith Spangler of Northridge, another former Saugus Sportsman competitor. Hooper finished 16th at Colorado, Spangler 11th. Doug Renno of Canoga Park is seventh in the rookie standings.

Ron Hornaday Jr. of Palmdale, with five wins in 13 starts, remains the points leader. The tour resumes Sept. 4 at Las Vegas Speedway.

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Miscellany: John Higgins of Simi Valley currently is 51st in the NASCAR Sunbelt Region points standings. Competitors in the Sunbelt Region--Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia--count their best 20 finishes during the 22-week NASCAR Winston Racing Series, which ends Sept. 12.