NASCAR stated that a red flag should have been flown after a late-race, multi-car wreck forced overtime in Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Instead of halting the race to do extensive clean-up, NASCAR opted to keep the race under caution.
With nine circuits remaining, Carson Hocevar spun out in turn 3 and collected Erik Jones in a violent two-car collision. The yellow flag was waved and the race did not return to green until four laps over the scheduled 160-lap distance.
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NASCAR’s extended caution period had drivers and teams on edge as they were not sure if they could make it the rest of the way on fuel. In hindsight, NASCAR believes throwing a red flag to stop the race to clean up would have been the right call.
NASCAR executive on decision to throw the caution: ‘Hindsight being 20/20…’
Mike Forde, NASCAR vice president of racing communications, recently spoke about the Daytona controversy on the “Hauler Talk” podcast.
At the time, NASCAR believed getting the track clear would be a quick procedure. However, that was ultimately not the case as the caution with nine laps left ended up forcing overtime.
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In hindsight, Forde said NASCAR would have thrown the red flag to give track workers enough time to clear the track without wasting laps under caution. Forde acknowledged that NASCAR’s decision to keep the caution displayed was a mistake.
“Hindsight being 20/20, we wish we had red-flagged it,” Forde said. “Our goal is always to get back to green as soon as possible. I think we felt that we would be able to clean it up faster than we did, and it really was the worst-case scenario.”
NASCAR has faced controversies in the past when it comes to caution periods. Over the years, the sport has seen a fair share of mixed opinions about throwing a caution flag on the last lap, which subsequently ends the race under yellow.
In an effort for driver safety, NASCAR has thrown cautions on the final lap in order for medical personnel to reach drivers involved in crashes as soon as possible. The argument against it is that if a crash happens well past the start/finish line, the race should finish under green.
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NASCAR Cup Series Chase kicks off in Darlington
The NASCAR Cup Series Chase begins this Sunday night at the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. The Cook Out Southern 500 plays host to the Chase opener, where 16 drivers will begin their quest to win a Cup Series championship.
Denny Hamlin, seeking his first Cup title in his 21st season, leads the points standings to begin the Chase. Ryan Blaney ranks second, followed by Tyler Reddick in third, Ty Gibbs in fourth and Chase Briscoe fifth.
The 10-race Chase will conclude at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where the highest points scorer of the 16 Chase drivers will be crowned the 2026 Cup champion.
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