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Daytona Beach, FL – NASCAR officials have provided clarity regarding the application of caution flags during the recent superspeedway events at Daytona International Speedway, asserting that decisions were made based on a thorough assessment of on-track incidents. The sanctioning body also acknowledged ongoing discussions and fan sentiment surrounding the prevalent fuel-saving tactics that characterized portions of the weekend’s racing, particularly in the Daytona 500.
During a recent appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Brad Moran, Cup Series managing director, addressed the perception that NASCAR implemented a more lenient approach to caution flags, especially in the closing stages of races. Moran emphasized that the race directors, Chase Brashears for the Truck and Xfinity Series races, and Tim Bermann for the Cup Series event, made sound judgments given the available resources.
“The race directors did a great, great job this weekend,” Moran stated. “We have a lot of resources. We have turn spotters, cameras and replay, a lot of folks in the tower. We have remote race control. We have all these resources that communicate to us, and we felt there was nothing that we had to immediately go out… we were still monitoring the situation in (Turn 1) and we were able to let that one play out to the start-finish line.”
Moran elaborated on the critical moment in the Daytona 500 where a caution flag was deployed just after the leaders crossed the start-finish line. “Obviously, the caution came out when the leaders got together right at start-finish line. They crossed over it under green and then the caution flew. That’s all within a split second. So we definitely held it as long as we could but we would try to do that last year, the year before and nothing changed. It just laid out that we could do it at this particular race.”
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The perception of a more deliberate approach to caution deployment was amplified by instances where solo car spins, which in the past might have triggered a yellow flag, did not do so this past weekend. This suggests a recalibration in how incidents are evaluated, with a focus on whether a caution is truly necessary to ensure the safety of competitors.
Mike Forde, NASCAR’s managing director of communications, further explained on the "Hauler Talk" podcast that the specific circumstances at Daytona, particularly its expansive runoff areas, played a role in the ability to let certain incidents play out. He cautioned that this approach might not be universally applicable to all tracks.
“We may see a hit that looks hard, a nose-into-the-wall collision that bent the front clip, and we need to get safety trucks out there as soon as possible,” Forde explained. “We did not see that in Daytona. Or that same type of wreck could happen, but the runoff area in Atlanta is nonexistent. There is a ton of runoff area in Daytona. And so because of that, they were able to get out of harm’s way. In Atlanta, that probably won’t be the case, so there may be a flag. We are going to do our best to maintain consistency. That is the ultimate goal, but every wreck is a snowflake. No two wrecks are the same, and because we’re at a different track, it changes the game.”
Forde also highlighted a recent, specific change in NASCAR’s caution flag philosophy: increased diligence in throwing a caution when drivers are forced to navigate through a debris field at speed. This adjustment, he noted, stemmed from lessons learned after the Daytona 500 last year. “That was kind of a line in the sand of moving forward, this is the philosophy,” Forde commented, indicating a clear directive to prioritize safety when debris poses a significant hazard.
These evolving decisions are reportedly influenced by direct feedback from the Driver Advisory Council, facilitated by consultant Jeff Burton. “They’re making sure that the drivers feel that what we did (at Daytona) was correct,” Forde stated. “And if they have any feedback, we’ll absolutely take it. We want to make sure that the drivers feel comfortable, and that’s why we changed on the debris field philosophy. That was direct driver feedback from the likes of Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and others who said, ‘Don’t put us in a situation where we’ve just got to go 100 percent throttle and hope for the best.’ You can’t have that.”
Denny Hamlin, a prominent voice among NASCAR’s drivers, expressed his support for the officiating’s approach this past weekend, contingent on continued consistency. “Well, I think everyone is okay with whatever it is, as long as it’s consistent,” Hamlin remarked. “Somebody said, as long as it’s the same for all races, and this weekend, they were very consistent. So I don’t think anyone should have any gripes about that.”
Hamlin further detailed his perspective on the events at Daytona: “We saw they set the tone really on Friday, and so they let those guys race it out. I was on the other end of the track. I can tell you that I didn’t think I was in any danger or the cars — the ones that did wreck in Turn 1, they ended up all in the apron of the grass so they were off the racing surface. There might have been one kind of running the apron or limping home, but there was no more traffic to go through there. It seems like how they’re calling this now is that if you have to drive back through it, if there’s multiple cars that’s got to drive through it and somebody is on the racetrack, they’re going to call the caution. But it seemed like to me when I drove through there 30 seconds later, nobody on the racetrack had any — was in any danger. I was fine with it.”
Beyond the caution flag discussions, NASCAR is also actively engaging with fan sentiment regarding the prevailing fuel-saving tactics. Large segments of the Daytona 500 saw drivers running in a large pack at significantly reduced throttle, often described as 50-60 percent. This strategy is employed to conserve fuel, minimize pit road time, and attempt to gain track position in races where passing can be exceedingly difficult in the pack.
Moran acknowledged that NASCAR is not oblivious to the criticisms leveled by fans regarding the perceived lack of on-track action during these fuel conservation periods. “Yeah sure,” Moran responded when asked about fan feedback. “We have a lot of fan councils and we listen. We listen to the fans and the industry. But, I don’t know when the last time you went 165 or whatever miles per hour, three-wide down the highway and it’s quite entertaining when they’re doing it. But we understand what folks are saying. It’s not an easy fix but we’ve had meeting with industry members and crew chiefs have told us this is a tool in their tool box that they’ve learned over the years. This group is best at taking advantage of any situation and that’s how they win races.”
He continued, “Telling them to stop that isn’t really going to work. It is on our radar and we’re certainly looking into it. But there isn’t really one thing that we can flip the switch and change it. This is being discussed within the industry.”
Forde echoed this sentiment, suggesting that a complete eradication of fuel-saving strategies is unlikely, but that efforts to mitigate its impact are being considered. “Getting rid of that entirely is probably not going to happen, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not going to try and work at it,” Forde stated. “It’s something on the docket. Fans wanted change in the playoffs, we did that. Fans wanted more horsepower, we did that. Fans wanted to change the (Charlotte) Roval to the oval, we did that. So this is also on the list of fan feedback, so we’ll see. TBD and no real answers yet, but it’s something that’s on the list.”
NASCAR’s commitment to addressing fan feedback has been demonstrated through previous policy changes, and the current discussions around fuel-saving tactics indicate that this area remains under active consideration. The organization aims to strike a balance between strategic racing, safety, and fan entertainment, acknowledging that finding solutions often involves a complex interplay of factors and ongoing dialogue with all stakeholders. The long-term impact of these considerations on future superspeedway races remains to be seen, as NASCAR continues to evaluate and adapt its approach.
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