“There’s a balance”: NASCAR’s Elton Sawyer addresses caution flag controversy at Atlanta

NASCAR officials have been under the scanner over inconsistent calls during the season's first two race weekends at Daytona and Atlanta. The Senior VP of Competition, Elton Sawyer, addressed concerns about the last-lap caution rulings, explaining how officials strive to balance entertainment and safety.

The controversy began with the Duel Race finish when a caution was thrown on the final lap, whereas no caution was issued for the final-lap wreck in the Daytona 500. Similarly in Atlanta, officials allowed the Xfinity race to finish under green but opted to throw caution in the Cup race, prioritizing driver safety over a thrilling three-wide finish.

In a recent appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Sawyer acknowledged that the Xfinity race in Atlanta should have ended under caution. He explained that officials aimed to provide viewers with a green-flag finish. However, the Cup Series drivers were informed that a last-lap wreck could result in the race ending under caution.

"It's inherently [a] dangerous sport. We are racing cars and Trucks at 180 plus miles an hour. There is an element of danger. We were a little aggressive. This is on us, [in] the Xfinity race on Saturday night, [we] should've thrown that caution. But in an effort to give our fans a green flag finish, that they paid for...there's a balance between entertainment, competition, and the safety element." Sawyer said.

"As I talked to our Cup drivers on Sunday in the driver's meeting, just to reassure them that we're not going to be racing through a debris field." he added.

Sawyer concluded that while the officials strive to let races finish under green flag conditions, they won’t hesitate to call a caution if a wreck occurs on the final lap.

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Former NASCAR driver disagrees with last-lap cautions at Superspeedways

Former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty stated that "there was no reason" to throw a caution flag on the final lap of the Cup race at Atlanta. He argued that the entire field was racing in a pack and that the drivers involved in the wreck had already come to a stop beside the track.

In a recent appearance on Performance Racing Network, Petty argued that there are no stragglers in Superspeedway races, who need to navigate around a wreck. Hence, he insists drivers should be allowed to race to the checkered flag.

"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 said.

The 64-year-old NASCAR veteran added that officials should instantly throw caution at non-superspeedway tracks, where the field is more spread out and drivers must navigate around wreckage or debris.