“We did everything we possibly could”: Elton Sawyer defends NASCAR’s decisions amid late-race drama at Brickyard 400

NASCAR found itself the target of criticism after the finish of Sunday's Brickyard 400. As the race went into overtime, Ryan Preece spun out seconds before the white flag was waved. However, a caution flag wasn't brought out until the white flag was waved and Kyle Larson was officially the race winner.

This led to some fans accusing NASCAR of favoring the Hendrick Motorsports driver because of the long delay in the caution coming out.

Speaking after the race, NASCAR's Elton Sawyer explained why it all went down the way it did:

“Obviously we’d like for it to play out naturally. We want our teams to race to the checkered flag. We did everything we possibly could. We kept an eye on the #41. He got turned around. He was really giving a solid effort and once he came to a stop and we could tell that he had, I think, a flat left-rear tire he wasn’t going to move. We’d already taken the white, we just couldn’t run by there again. So it was unfortunate, but it was the right call," Sawyer said.

When asked whether the delayed response in calling the caution would've been the same if the circumstances were similar earlier in the race, Sawyer pointed to the aspect of safety.

“I think when it comes to safety and we have cars that have spun out and they’re trying to make an effort to move, we’re going to do everything we can to stay green,” Sawyer claimed.

He added that such scenarios are a "case by case basis" with a lot of hypothetical aspects in the question of calling a caution and ensuring safety at the same time.

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Current NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney left with a bitter taste after Brickyard 400

Before the race-ending caution and the white flag, Ryan Blaney was battling Kyle Larson for the lead. Blaney, who was pursuing his former teammate Brad Keselowski for the lead, saw his hopes dwindle with a caution brought out by Kyle Busch, which forced the #6 into pitting, and the #5 to the inside of the front row.

After the race, Blaney shared his feeling of frustration on the third-place finish. However, the Team Penske driver said he didn't know who to direct his frustrations toward:

“I’m p****d. I told my guys that I’m ticked off, but I don’t know who to be ticked off at. There’s no one to be ticked off at, it’s just racing luck. The break that (Larson) got and the hardship that we got right there with that happening at that time just killed our race," Blaney said.

The current NASCAR champion remarked that he had put himself in "the perfect spot" to win the race, but the unique circumstances benefitted Larson and killed his hopes of winning.

He added that he wasn't mad at anyone in particular, but he was simply upset about "racing luck."