“There was no reason for that”: Kyle Petty delivers a blunt verdict on NASCAR’s controversy-sparking call

Following last Sunday’s controversial finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty pinpointed the ideal time for NASCAR to throw a caution. This happened during his recent interview with Performance Racing Network, often known as PRN by racing aficionados.

According to Petty, the last-lap caution at Atlanta Superspeedway wasn’t necessary as it was pack racing the sport was dealing with. This means all cars were racing close to each other and no one car was left at the back of the field.

“The field is together; it's pack racing,” explained the NASCAR veteran. “So everybody is in the same place, there's not somebody straggling on the backstretch is going to drive around into that wreck. Same thing yesterday. Exact same thing.”

Petty further noted that in tracks like Michigan where pack racing is quite unlikely, NASCAR could have waved the yellow if a similar situation occured. But as far as Atlanta was concerned, he felt that the league had enough time to wave the checkered flag following the usual green-white sequence.

“They wrecked at the end of the backstretch, these guys are racing. They throw the caution in between three and four. They've still got time to take the flag and slow down and plenty of time. So there was no reason for a caution at that point in time because they were off the racetrack to the left, the pack had passed,” Petty added.

Several NASCAR fans would agree with Petty. They would have rather witnessed a thrilling three-wide finish instead of NASCAR handing over the win to Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell.

Even NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi said in a recent episode of The Teardown that they would have loved to experience an electrifying finish.

Fans are now looking forward to the first road course race of the season, which is scheduled for March 2 at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

The race will be televised on FOX from 3:30 pm ET onwards. Fans can listen to radio updates on PRN as well as SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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PRN and MRN join forces to create a new NASCAR network for exclusive radio coverage

NASCAR’s Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Speedway Motorsports’ Performance Racing Network (PRN) have recently collaborated to form NASCAR Racing Network, deemed as the new home for the sport’s Craftsman Truck Series coverage.

Reflecting on the same, Chris Schwartz, President of MRN said in a statement,

“Working side by side, MRN and PRN have built one of the largest radio networks in sports, delivering the excitement of NASCAR racing to hundreds of thousands of race fans coast to coast.”

“The NASCAR Racing Network builds on each other’s strengths and creates a new path for us to elevate the NASCAR Radio landscape for fans and stakeholders of the sport,” Schwartz further added.

The new network made its grand debut with the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway on February 14. Corey Heim, driver of the No. 11 Toyota Tundra for TRICON Garage, won the 100-lap event.