“I’m glad I don’t have to make that decision”: NASCAR greats Richard Petty and Dale Inman weigh in on Atlanta’s controversial finish under caution

NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Inman shared their thoughts on the controversial ending of the second NASCAR Cup race for this season last Sunday.

The Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway would have been a photo finish but instead ended with a caution flag. Christopher Bell earned his first career win at Atlanta but the finish left fans and drivers questioning NASCAR’s consistency in throwing the caution flag. Petty and Inman also responded to a fan question regarding the same in a clip posted on X.

"One race they throw the flag, next race they don't throw the caution. You know, I see them again—if you're in the middle of a crowd and have a wreck, I can see them throwing a caution. But if it's at the back end of the race that's running, I can't see them throwing a caution. So, I'm glad I don’t have to make that decision," Richard Petty said.

"I hate to be the one to have to call that decision, but there were enough cars when they froze the field that they could have had another wreck coming to caution. So, you know, that would have been really exciting. I don’t know, they... I’m sure they're working on it. But they do need to come up with a plan," Dale Inman said.

During the Daytona 500 and Atlanta’s Xfinity race, drivers kept racing to the finish even after big crashes. However, NASCAR decided to end the Cup race at Atlanta under yellow even while Bell, Carson Hocevar, and Kyle Larson were battling side-by-side in the final corners.

"Just cover it up and leave me in" - Richard Petty on naps between NASCAR breaks

NASCAR legend Richard Petty and former crew chief Dale Inman won seven championships and 188 races, including seven Daytona 500s during the 1970s. Inman joined Petty Enterprises in 1963 as Richard’s crew chief and became NASCAR’s most successful crew chief, with 193 wins, 188 of them with Richard.

The two talked about the Daytona 500 in a previous video. The season opener 'Great American Race' was put on hold after 12 laps, when it rained. Inman joked about Richard Petty taking a nap during the wait.

"When they stopped those cars, they weren't sure if they were going to cover them up. They had a lot of cameras zooming right in on the drivers. And I said, "Boy, if Richard Petty was here, he'd take him a good nap,'" Dale Inman said (01:30 0nwards).

"Just cover it up and leave me in," Richard Petty added.

Inman also worked with Dale Earnhardt in 1981 after he left Petty Enterprises but returned and stayed with the team until Petty retired in 1992.