What’s worse—letting chaos unfold or stopping the show before it reaches its climax? NASCAR found itself at the center of that debate once again after Atlanta, where a late-race crash and a quick caution call left fans and insiders questioning the sport’s decision-making. The inconsistency wasn’t just frustrating—it was exactly what Kevin Harvick had warned about weeks earlier.
Kevin Harvick anticipated it. A few weeks ago, following the Daytona 500, the former Cup Series champion walked out of the FOX Sports booth fuming not only about the race’s result but also about NASCAR’s erratic officiating and the hazardous conditions it was putting drivers in. His warning wasn’t just annoyance; it was a dire prediction. “I walked out of there mad. First of all, it was so inconsistent. And second of all, it was so unsafe. Somebody is gonna get hurt,” he said.
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From Hesitation to Overcorrection: NASCAR’s Caution Controversy Rages On
Harvick was discussing the late-race crashes at Daytona, where NASCAR allowed the mayhem to worsen by delaying the issuance of a caution. His worry? NASCAR’s indecision needlessly put drivers at risk. Then came Atlanta—another race that ended in an accident, another race like a superspeedway, and another contentious NASCAR ruling. The inconsistency only fueled frustration, leading to a passionate discussion on The Teardown podcast, where Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi broke down exactly what went wrong.
It was the horror situation Harvick had predicted. A wreck that, in slightly worse circumstances, might have gone wrong. NASCAR promptly threw the caution, freezing the field, and Suárez won the race. Instead, though, the attention was immediately drawn to NASCAR’s management of the finish rather than a thrilling race. “NASCAR is always talking about safety enhancements and how much they’re trying to do safety-wise; they had to throw it, they should have thrown it, if Berry’s wreck at Atlanta was a caution, why wasn’t the wreck at Daytona? If NASCAR’s just gonna make it up as they go, why even have rules?” Jeff Gluck said.
As the Atlanta race neared its final laps, it appeared to be one of the best finishes of the season. Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, and Daniel Suárez were three inches apart in their fight for victory. Behind them, Carson Hocevar was acting wildly, throwing vicious blocks, and not slowing down. When Bubba Wallace touched Josh Berry, he spun on the backstretch. He struck the outside wall with great force. Brad Keselowski and Austin Hill struck him before he could heal, resulting in a multi-vehicle collision.
Instead, NASCAR’s move snatched the moment away from the struggle. At this point, the dispute became more intense because people weren’t only responding to Atlanta. They had Daytona on their minds. This was the same thing that infuriated Harvick following Daytona. Not only does NASCAR’s inconsistency cause pandemonium on the track, but it also damages the sport’s reputation among drivers and fans.
Because of what transpired before the race, the controversy became even more complicated. Allen Sawyer of NASCAR publicly acknowledged during the drivers’ meeting just hours prior that they had handled the finish poorly. “Last night was on us,” Sawyer told the drivers. “We should have called that caution sooner. We should not have let that race play out the way it did. That was on us, and if a similar situation occurs, you can expect the caution to come out.”
The race in Atlanta demonstrated how inconsistently NASCAR makes decisions in these circumstances. Why didn’t NASCAR prioritize safety at Daytona as much as it did in Atlanta? Should the frequency of cautions from officials become the new standard? The argument is maintained by this disparity. What would have happened if NASCAR had been cautious at Daytona and maintained the same speed? If NASCAR let Atlanta go green to the line, how clean would the finish have been?
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Safety or Spectacle? NASCAR’s Caution Call Questioned After Berry’s Wreck
Josh Berry departed Atlanta Motor Speedway feeling both irritated and thoughtful. His great run ended in a last-lap collision after he won Stage 1 and led 56 laps, the second-most of the race. His unfortunate DNF resulted from the incident, which robbed him of a chance at a better finish. Considering the outcome after the race, he stated, “We had a really fast car. We saw yesterday that all of our cars were fast. We were able to stay aggressive, stay on the offense, and stay up front. I feel that I am in a situation now where I can succeed. We tried to make the most of it there, but we didn’t get the finish we deserved.”
Josh Berry reflected on the chaos of the Atlanta Motor Speedway race, acknowledging the aggressive nature of the final laps. He described it as “crazy” but also “a lot of fun,” highlighting the intense battles that unfolded, particularly with Carson Hocevar and Ross Chastain. Berry noted that Hocevar made a bold move to shove Chastain out of line, leading to a three-wide situation where space simply ran out. “It was just crazy. Honestly, it was a lot of fun, but it was just crazy. A lot of aggressive moves racing there at the end,” he added.
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Josh Berry left Atlanta Motor Speedway with nothing but frustration after what had been a race full of promise. Berry crashed out with a DNF and questioned whether aggressive racing was worth a mid-pack finish. Instead of celebrating a well-earned finish, he was forced to walk away empty-handed, wondering what more he could have done. “It’s just disappointing. I have to go back and look to see if there is something I could have done better,” he expressed.