NASCAR’s inconsistency in calling final-lap cautions has been the hottest point of debate after the weekend in Atlanta. The race officials did not wave the yellow flag when a wreck occurred in the final lap of the Xfinity Series race on Saturday. Drivers raced to the checkered flag. However, caution was thrown in a similar situation during the Cup Series action on Sunday.
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Several drivers have been lashing out at the race officials for the inconsistency in their calls. That includes Noah Gragson, the No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse driver, whose race ended in a wreck on Lap 184 of the race.
Gragson, who was having a good outing in Atlanta till the crash, also expressed his thoughts about the caution controversy on the Door Bumper Clear podcast. He described the uncertainty that goes through the driver’s mind when such incidents happen and the dangerous scenario it creates.
“I understand they [NASCAR] are in a tough position. It’s just the inconsistency we fear as drivers. When you don’t know whether the caution is coming or not, you have to hold it wide open. Sometimes you are gonna plow through someone, or you are gonna get through unscathed, and everything is going to be okay. But it’s a disaster waiting to happen,” elaborated Gragson.
NASCAR had held a drivers’ meeting before the Cup Series race in Atlanta. The Senior Vice President of Competition, Elton Sawyer, had reiterated to everyone that his officials had made a mistake by not throwing a caution in the final lap of the Xfinity Series race. He also clarified that the caution would come out if a similar situation occurred in the Cup Series race. And it did.
So, in the promotion’s defense, the drivers knew the caution would come out. And Gragson’s contention about drivers being confused gets weak.
What’s better: no overtimes or unlimited overtimes? ⚖️
Full Race Reaction https://t.co/yxkNpUgru9@NoahGragson | @FreddieKraft | @KarsynElledge3 | @TBR7NY pic.twitter.com/WRxURysAAD
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) February 25, 2025
Besides, Gragson’s race in Atlanta ended much before the incident in question.
How did Gragson’s race on Sunday go?
Gragson started the race in 10th place on the grid. That was his first top-10 qualifying effort of 2025. He drove well to maintain a position between 10th and 15th. He even earned a stage point at the end of Stage 2. However, things went awry when he was collected in a crash on Lap 184.
The No. 4 Ford Mustang was brought to the pit road for repairs. However, the crew couldn’t do much to get the car back on the track.
“I saw the No. 99 [Daniel Suarez] get turned through the trioval and I don’t know if he was coming back up or if I clipped him with the left rear, but I had a lot of left-rear damage and couldn’t continue,” Gragson narrated the incident that led to the crash.
He did not have a great time in the Daytona 500 either, finishing in 28th place. Gragson next goes to the Circuit of the Americas hoping he could get his 2025 campaign up and running at the venue.
