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Denny Hamlin Agrees with NASCAR Caution Call at End of Atlanta Race

Toby Christie

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The opening of the 2025 NASCAR National Series schedule has been a little difficult to keep up with from the perspective of how Race Control is going to call the finish of a race.

In just two race weekends, we've seen race control throw the caution flag a couple of hundred feet from the finish line (in the Duel Qualifiers at Daytona), we've seen them let the leaders race back to the finish line despite big crashes on the final laps of races (Daytona 500, and Xfinity race at Atlanta), and we've seen the sanctioning body reverse course this week and throw the caution on the final lap of Sunday's Ambetter Health 400, which ended a dramatic three-wide dash to the line for the race win.

While it's confusing, and potentially not the most popular call, Denny Hamlin feels NASCAR made the correct decision on the final lap of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta.

“It was the right call. Good call? [It] just depends on who you ask," Hamlin noted on this week's Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin Podcast. "If you ask the fans who want entertainment, no — it was not a good call in their eyes. But I can assure you there’s not a driver in the field that would want that race to stay green, given the scenarios that were going on."

In Saturday night's NASCAR Xfinity Series race, a crash broke out on the final lap of the event, and NASCAR opted to keep the race green to the checkered flag. What resulted was additional carnage on the backstretch as drivers attempted to pick up every position they could while their competitors were spinning across the track in front of them.

It was a dangerous situation, and the decision not to call the caution on the final lap of the Bennett Transportation & Logistics 250 was a mistake, according to Elton Sawyer, NASCAR vice president of competition in Sunday morning's NASCAR Cup Series drivers meeting.

While allowing drivers to race back to the checkered flag despite a last lap crash was certainly entertaining, the safety aspect of what had occurred in the Daytona 500, and again in Saturday night's Xfinity Series race couldn't be ignored.

“You keep these races green, and someone will end up getting hurt. There’s just too much opportunity and the drivers are way too vulnerable when they’re sitting in the racetrack and then cars have to go by them [at] full speed to gain spots. That’s just not a good scenario for anyone," Hamlin explained. "The race had to end under caution.”

While the calls in the NASCAR tower have see-sawed back and forth early in the season, Hamlin is ready to hit the reset button on criticizing the sanctioning body, which he felt made the correct decision on Sunday night at Atlanta.

“Guys, somebody seriously — and it could be your favorite driver — will get really, really hurt,” Hamlin said. “A caution means it’s an unsafe condition. That’s the definition. So let’s reset. Forget the past. They’re 1-0. Let’s start the trend of correct calls.”

While injuries aren't nearly as commonplace in NASCAR as they were in years past, and there hasn't been a fatality in the NASCAR Cup Series since Dale Earnhardt perished on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, it's imperative that the sanctioning body and sport in general not relax its standards in regard to safety. It appears NASCAR has weighed out the safety and entertainment aspects of racing back to the finish line in the opening couple of weeks, and has thankfully placed safety above entertainment.

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Toby Christie
TOBY CHRISTIE

Toby Christie is the Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. He has 15 years of experience as a motorsports journalist and has been with Racing America since 2023.

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