The NASCAR All-Star Race has always been a stage for drama, especially for the Waltrip brothers. From its wild beginnings in 1985, when Darrell Waltrip clinched the first-ever All-Star Race by passing Harry Gant late, only to have his engine blow as he took the checkered flag, then went on to win the Coca-Cola 600 the next day. The intensity continued in 1989 when Rusty Wallace spun Darrell Waltrip with two laps left, sparking a post-race brawl between pit crews and a fiery Waltrip. Fast forward to 2025 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and Michael Waltrip has made the All-Star Race iconic.
And, Darrell’s brother kept that legacy of chaos alive with a “promoter’s caution” flag drop that turned the All-Star Race into a spectacle no one could ignore. While some saw it as a misstep, NASCAR’s old-school voices couldn’t stop praising Michael’s flair for stealing the show.
For those who don’t know, Michael Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 champion and the 1996 All-Star Race winner with Wood Brothers Racing, was tasked with waving the caution flag to add excitement to the 2025 event. The idea was simple. Marcus Smith could throw a yellow anytime between Laps 100 and 220. Smith entrusted it to Waltrip, and it brought out an iconic All-Star moment. With just 35 laps left, Waltrip excitedly waved the flag as Logano led with Bell in tow, but the real kicker was yet to come.
Waltrip dropped the yellow flag onto the front stretch, where it was run over by multiple cars, including Chase Elliott’s. The moment sent shockwaves through the stands and social media, with fans split—some cheering the chaos, others groaning. Yet, the real story lies in how Waltrip’s antics captured the heart of NASCAR’s past. The veterans who saw it unfold were in awe. “He was perfect to do that. Absolutely perfect. Perfect,” said Doug Rice, a legendary NASCAR broadcaster, his voice full of admiration. “I’ve got to give him huge points. I don’t know that there’s anybody else in our sport that would have gone up there and had delivered the kind of performance.”
Compared to last season, it shook things up. If fans remember, the only cautions that came late in the race were from crashes. Whether it was Suarez or Cindric spinning, the end results were overtime restarts, and none of the drivers pitted. Compare it to this year, and you see the difference. Bell pitted under the promoter’s caution, and it was this moment that determined the win. When the No. 20 car caught up to the No. 22, the Penske driver could barely hold on.
Rice’s co-commentator, Brad Gillie, painted a vivid picture: “I don’t know what television showed, but he walked down there at first and was just sitting at the base of the grandstands, signing autographs. Yeah, brought out a bunch of hero cards and everything, and then finally walked up to the flag stand. And then he’s working the crowd, you know, and he’s like, five laps, five laps. Like, he’s going to throw it on lap 210. And then lap 210 hits, he’s like… Five more laps. Five more laps, you know. It was great.”
With just 49 laps to go, Waltrip had already taken position, rallying the fans on. 10 laps to go, he gestured to the fans as he waved an imaginary flag. Did Bell see this? After all, he was less than half a second away from Logano. Regardless, Michael kept the fans on edge. 39 laps left to go and no flag. With just 35 laps left, the moment came, and the legend had done such a fine job building up to it.
Even Kyle Petty, a veteran who remembers just how tight finishes can be (remember his 1992 tussle with Davey Allison?), also couldn’t stop praising Waltrip’s buildup. “TV did a really good job of that. Because they showed him signing autographs, going to break one time. And then they showed him up there. And they showed him waving at the crowd, trying to get them excited. The flagman played into it perfectly.”
PROMOTERS CAUTION: Michael Waltrip’s Epic Flag Moment#MichaelWaltrip #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/oAPCXe4KPH
— PRN (@PRNlive) May 19, 2025
This wasn’t just a flag drop—it was Michael Waltrip channeling the soul of old-school NASCAR, where larger-than-life characters ruled. His performance echoed his 1996 All-Star win, honored in 2025 by Josh Berry’s retro paint scheme while racing for the same team that Waltrip left a mark with.
Waltrip took the incident in a lighter manner, posting on X, “A little move I like to call the Mike drop!” and for many, he did just that. His crowd-pleasing antics, joking with Chase Elliott, where he said, “Hey Chase, my pants are kinda loose,” looked so ironic. Elliott also replied, “I’ll leave you with that one.” The exchange shown live had quickly become a favorite moment for fans and commentators, bringing some lighthearted fun before the race.
But not everyone was impressed. Critics argued it overshadowed drivers like Christopher Bell, who won the race, and also ended the day for Logano.
Not everyone humored Waltrip’s antics
While Petty, Brad, and Rice appreciated Waltrip, some fans, drivers, and insiders were left stunned, angry, and honestly, a little heartbroken.
FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass didn’t mince words. He took to X, posting, “OK, finished most of my Indy work. Going to watch the end of the all-star race. To flag any important happenings, please drop me a note.” And that subtle dig did hit like a ton of bricks, capturing the absurdity of the moment.
Jeff Gluck was even harsher. He vented, “I don’t like how they did it.” He went on to stress how not only the Cup Series drivers but also Waltrip looked like ‘clowns.”
Veteran broadcaster Mike Joy, who’s seen it all in his decades covering the sport, couldn’t hide his disappointment either. During the broadcast, he threw some serious shade, saying, “You had one job, Mike.” That line stung, especially since Waltrip’s so-called “promoter’s caution” came out of nowhere.
“Oh, Michael has dropped the flag! Michael has dropped the flag,” Kevin Harvick exclaimed. “He really dropped the flag on the front straightaway. It is on the front straightaway.” The backlash kept coming. Fans and analysts are tearing into Waltrip for turning a high-stakes event into a sideshow. Waltrip’s caution wasn’t just a random blunder—it disrupted the race’s flow. The incident sparked a firestorm of criticism across the sport. But it also made NASCAR what it is. Great.
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