NASCAR chief Elton Sawyer comes clean on the big officiating mistake in Atlanta that should've never happened: "That was on us"

NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer admitted to a major officiating error during the Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. On the final lap, Parker Retzlaff lost control, triggering a multi-car wreck. Despite the chaos, officials did not call for a caution flag, allowing the race to finish under the green flag.

A similar last-lap wreck unfolded in Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400. Josh Berry, after leading 56 laps, got squeezed between Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain, hitting the wall and sparking a multi-car crash in overtime. Unlike the NXS race, NASCAR immediately called a caution just as Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar, and Kyle Larson went three-wide for the lead.

Following the end of the Ambetter Health 400, NASCAR VP Elton Sawyer expressed that the sanctioning body's goal is to not allow the race to continue on a debris-filled track. As reported by Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass, Sawyer said:

"Based on last night’s race, our goal is to finish our races under green conditions. That’s our No. 1 goal. But also we’re not going to be racing through a debris field. So you can expect the caution to come out based on last night. That was on us. If a situation comes up like last night will be a caution."

The post also relays that Elton Sawyer had spoken with the Cup Series drivers ahead of Sunday's race, admitting that the caution flag should have come out in the NXS race. Eventually, this mistake was not repeated in the Cup Series.

Meanwhile, NASCAR remains under scrutiny following Ryan Preece’s terrifying crash on lap 196 of the Daytona 500, where his #60 Ford went airborne—highlighting a recurring safety concern that has become increasingly relevant in recent years.

Insider backs Ryan Preece’s criticism of NASCAR after terrifying Daytona 500 wreck: "It's hard to argue with him"

Ryan Preece took the green flag from 27th in the Daytona 500, piloting the #60 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing. Despite the tough starting spot, he climbed into the top ten. However, with just four laps remaining, a multi-car wreck sparked by the #20 Toyota driven by Christopher Bell sent Preece airborne. His car flipped onto its side before coming to rest upright.

Although RFK Racing’s newest driver walked away unscathed from the infield care center, NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass acknowledged Ryan Preece’s frustration with the sanctioning body

"A part of me is frustrated too," Pockrass said. "And certainly the person who's most frustrated — Ryan Preece. Up and over, flipping again for the second time in four Daytona races. He says NASCAR has to do something. You know it's hard to argue with him. And especially after that race where seeing that drivers couldn't control their own destiny." [0:54-1:15]

The 2024 season witnessed three major airborne incidents, including two in the same weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Kyle Sieg flipped on the final lap of the Cabo Wabo 250, while Corey LaJoie experienced a similar crash the following day in the Cup Series.

Meanwhile, the Cup Series is headed to COTA for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on 2nd March. Catch the rice live on FOX, PRN, and SiriusXM at 3:30 PM Eastern time.