Is NASCAR sacrificing driver safety for an uninterrupted finish? In the final laps of the 2025 Daytona 500, the infamous “Big One” sent cars crashing behind the leaders, yet officials kept the race under green. William Byron took the win, but the decision sparked debate—should excitement outweigh safety? With wrecked cars left vulnerable on the track, many question whether NASCAR’s late-race policies need to change before disaster strikes.
Denny Hamlin called out NASCAR’s inconsistency in throwing caution flags after finding himself stranded on the track during the late-race chaos. On his podcast, he criticized the decision to keep the race under green, arguing it prioritizes the finish over driver safety. Hamlin warned that rewarding drivers for keeping their foot down through wrecks only encourages reckless racing, raising serious concerns about NASCAR’s handling of high-speed crashes.
NASCAR’s Inconsistent trend leaves drivers in a Dangerous Precedent
This inconsistency has raised concerns among drivers, as Denny Hamlin pointed out, “People have been talking about it being inconsistent, if a wreck happens before the white they will be quick to throw the yellow, and if it happens after the white they will be late to throw the yellow that’s just the way this is typically trending. So get used to it. I think I was the only one that crashed hard and was sitting there in turns three and four. Was I going to affect the finish? No, I thought that the dispatch vehicles were there in a timely manner, my issue was that I couldn’t get the car re-fired.”
Denny Hamlin has highlighted NASCAR’s uneven use of caution flags, emphasizing the risks that drivers may face as a result of this irregularity. The JGR veteran talked about the unpredictable nature of caution flag judgments in a recent episode of his “Actions Detrimental” podcast. He pointed out that officials are quick to deploy the yellow flag if a wreck happens before the white flag, but there is a notable delay if it comes later. He underlined that this tendency can jeopardize drivers’ safety since it leaves them unsure of the racing conditions.
In the NASCAR community, these accidents have spurred a wider discussion about the necessity of reliable and safety-focused officiating, particularly at crucial race moments. “I was wrecked and then somebody came up from the bottom and hit me in the left side door. Like hard. I don’t know if it was because they kept their foot in it or they just clipped.”
Denny Hamlin described how he crashed in Turns 3 and 4 and remained motionless on the track while the race continued without immediate caution. Although emergency crews arrived quickly, he couldn’t restart his car, leaving him vulnerable as other drivers sped past. His experience highlighted the danger of prioritizing race continuity over driver safety.
WILLIAM BYRON GOES BACK TO BACK AND WINS THE DAYTONA 500 @rubbinisracing pic.twitter.com/w12cH9whOm
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 17, 2025
In the 2024 Brickyard 400, NASCAR delayed throwing the caution after Ryan Preece spun in the second overtime, allowing Kyle Larson to take the white flag before finally stopping the race under yellow. Hamlin questioned whether this was bad luck or a result of inconsistent officiating. While he accepted NASCAR’s decision, he stressed that forcing drivers to race past wrecks—especially on high-speed tracks—creates unnecessary risk. He understood why drivers felt uneasy, as NASCAR’s approach seemed to value finishing positions over safety.
Kevin Harvick Frustrated by NASCAR’s Caution Delay: Safety or Spectacle?
Denny Hamlin wasn’t alone in questioning NASCAR’s caution flag decisions. Kevin Harvick, on his Happy Hour podcast, criticized officials for letting the race continue despite a multi-car wreck unfolding on the backstretch during the final lap of overtime. Just days earlier in Duel 2 at Daytona, NASCAR threw the caution moments before Erik Jones and Austin Cindric reached the start/finish line. Jones thought he had won, but because the caution came out with Cindric ahead, officials awarded him the victory. Harvick pointed to this inconsistency, reinforcing Hamlin’s concerns that NASCAR’s unpredictable officiating creates confusion and puts drivers at risk in crucial moments.
“I’m happy for William, I’m happy that everybody’s OK. But I’m not happy with — and we talked about it this preseason, one of the things that I said and what I expected and hoped for this season, was that we got some consistency in the officiating — and it couldn’t have been more inconsistent,” Harvick said. Despite being happy with William’s success and everyone’s safety, Harvick voiced his displeasure with NASCAR’s inconsistent officiating. He made it clear that although he had anticipated more reliable officiating before the season started, the reverse has happened.
Harvick’s concern was that wrecks are indeed detrimental for the driver on the superspeedway tracks. He just couldn’t believe that the race tower allowed the race to go green while the field behind them was wrecking. We all know what happened with Austin Dillon at Daytona, so there has to be some sort of clarity on how NASCAR is going to officiate late-race cautions.
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