Yep, there's plenty of warning signs that something isn't right, but people are still doing it. Fortunately only a handful.
I believe a Le Mans race car did pass the finish line, winning the 24 hour race & came to a stop a few hundred yards past the finish. I think the car had lost its oil & was smoking as it past the finish line on the preceding lap. Because of the loss of oil, the eventual winner had to reduce speed, as the second place car (over a lap behind) passed the oil-less car, putting itself on the same lap. Circling the 8 mile course, it was questionable if the oil-less car would be able to make the last lap, all the time the second place car was gaining. Minutes passed & finally the oil-less car dragged itself across the finish line to win the 24 hours of Le Mans..... & expired in the same camera shot.
In endurance racing, if you have a lead it is not uncommon to slow down at the end. The race ends for each car on the next crossing of the finish line by that car at the end of the race duration. If you slow down a bit, you may have to do one less lap. Factory teams will also try to line up all their cars with the winner for the finish, so typically the winner slows down so they can all be in the same picture, regardless of their actual position in the race.
This is our car finishing the 25 hours of Thunderhill. Started in 52nd place, finished in 31st overall, 6th in class Not bad for an old 944 with a 4 cylinder.
