NASCAR Responds to Criticism Over Chicago Finish
NASCAR officials have addressed recent criticism regarding their handling of the race conclusion at Chicago, where a significant delay in the caution flag left many questioning the safety and officiating standards.
The incident occurred as Cody Ware, running in 18th position, crashed into the tire barriers at Turn 6 following the explosion of a brake rotor at approximately 90 mph. Despite the severity of the crash, race officials delayed throwing the caution, resulting in race leader Shane van Gisbergen crossing the finish line before the yellow flag was issued.
Brad Moran, Managing Director of the NASCAR Cup Series, explained that the delay stemmed from race control not having immediate visibility of the crash’s impact. "We didn’t have the actual footage of the impact of the car getting into the tire barrier," Moran indicated. He acknowledged past instances of missed incidents on road courses and emphasized that NASCAR will revisit their oversight and improve protocols for future races.
Moran elaborated on the decision-making process, stating, "If they’re in the racing line, it changes the thought process. If they’re out of the racing line, we give them time, which obviously we did throughout the day." The usual procedure involved issuing a local blue flag to allow Ware to exit the incident site, but Moran noted that had they seen the crash in real-time, immediate action would have been taken.
The incident raised critical discussions about safety and officiating practices in NASCAR, with Moran affirming, “If we would have had that shot of Cody’s impact there, the caution would have come out immediately.”
For more context on the Chicago race, Shane van Gisbergen secured the victory, marking a notable entry into the NASCAR Cup Series, yet it was overshadowed by the concerns raised from the crash incident. NASCAR plans to analyze and improve their race control operations for future events to ensure driver safety and efficient officiating.
