NASCAR once again landed in the crosshairs of its fanbase — this time for a familiar misstep that’s become a recurring sore spot. The flashpoint came during the closing moments of the Chicago Street Race, when a late-race crash failed to trigger an immediate caution.
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The rage harks back to February 2025 at Atlanta, when officials waved the yellow during the Cup Series race finish, handing Christopher Bell the win, but curiously stayed silent during a similar incident in the Xfinity race just 24 hours earlier on the same track. Since then, NASCAR’s late-race caution calls have only fueled the firestorm, with fans growing increasingly disillusioned by what they consider inconsistent officiating.
Despite the criticism, Tyler Reddick stood firm in NASCAR’s corner. The third-place finisher in Chicago on Sunday offered a measured perspective when pressed by Jerry Jordan of Kickin’ the Tires about the no-call on the final lap. “I mean, it’s just a tough situation. I can’t see what’s going on over there in turn six. NASCAR controls got to decide all that.
“It’s a tough spot for them to be in because if they throw the yellow flag before we get to the white, it could totally change the outcome for the top 10, the top 20 in the race.”
Reddick didn’t stop there, acknowledging the nature of a potential restart. He said, “So, it’s a tough spot for them to be in for sure, but I think it definitely would have opened up Pandora’s box, if you will.
“And drivers 10th on back would have been really aggressive for two laps. Us on our fresher tires, we would have been able to be very aggressive as well on those two laps. So, it’s just tough deal. It’s racing. It’s sometimes just how it goes.”
On the final lap of the Grant Park 165, Cody Ware’s Ford plowed into the tire barriers at Turn Six. Given the mayhem sparked earlier by Carson Hocevar’s Lap 4 incident, which triggered a multi-car wreck, many expected the caution flag to wave immediately. Instead, NASCAR held back for a full 45 seconds, long enough for Shane van Gisbergen to take the checkered flag and seal the win under yellow, leaving fans once again questioning the judgment of race control.
Ty Gibbs on the delayed caution call
Ty Gibbs crossed the finish line in second, matching his career-best run from Darlington last year, but the question remained: What if NASCAR had thrown the caution flag in time? He might have had another crack at the lead. Then again, as Tyler Reddick pointed out, the final laps would’ve turned into an all-out brawl, and Gibbs just as easily could’ve lost ground in the shuffle.
So, when asked about the timing of the caution, Gibbs met the moment with a tongue-in-cheek response. Laughing, he quipped, “I would have been all for that (yellow caution) 100%. But I think that 51 was like underneath the K rail over there, so I don’t know. It’d have been awesome, though. (It) Would have worked in my favor.”
According to Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass, NASCAR officials claimed they didn’t initially grasp the extent of Cody Ware’s impact and were waiting to see if he could have rejoined the race. They also made it clear that weather concerns had no bearing on their call.
Even Shane van Gisbergen admitted he braced for a late caution and the threat of overtime chaos. But by the time the yellow flag flew, he had already taken the white flag, slamming the door shut on any last-minute drama and handing the win to himself while setting off yet another fan backlash in the process.
