NASCAR once again landed in the crosshairs of its fanbase \u2014 this time for a familiar misstep that\u2019s become a recurring sore spot. The flashpoint came during the closing moments of the Chicago Street Race, when a late-race crash failed to trigger an immediate caution.<\/p>\n
The rage harks back to February 2025 at Atlanta, when officials waved the yellow during the Cup Series race finish, handing Christopher Bell the win, but curiously stayed silent during a similar incident in the Xfinity race just 24 hours earlier on the same track. Since then, NASCAR\u2019s late-race caution calls have only fueled the firestorm, with fans growing increasingly disillusioned by what they consider inconsistent officiating.<\/p>\n
Despite the criticism, Tyler Reddick stood firm in NASCAR\u2019s corner. The third-place finisher in Chicago on Sunday offered a measured perspective when pressed by Jerry Jordan of Kickin\u2019 the Tires about the no-call on the final lap. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s just a tough situation. I can\u2019t see what\u2019s going on over there in turn six. NASCAR controls got to decide all that. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a tough spot for them to be in because if they throw the yellow flag before we get to the white, it could totally change the outcome for the top 10, the top 20 in the race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reddick<\/a> didn\u2019t stop there, acknowledging<\/a> the nature of a potential restart. He said, \u201cSo, it\u2019s a tough spot for them to be in for sure, but I think it definitely would have opened up Pandora\u2019s box, if you will. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd drivers 10th on back would have been really aggressive for two laps. Us on our fresher tires, we would have been able to be very aggressive as well on those two laps. So, it\u2019s just tough deal. It\u2019s racing. It\u2019s sometimes just how it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n On the final lap of the Grant Park 165, Cody Ware\u2019s Ford plowed into the tire barriers at Turn Six. Given the mayhem sparked earlier by Carson Hocevar\u2019s Lap 4 incident, which triggered a multi-car wreck, many expected the caution flag to wave immediately. Instead, NASCAR held back for a full 45 seconds, long enough for Shane van Gisbergen to take the checkered flag and seal the win under yellow, leaving fans once again questioning the judgment of race control.<\/p>\n Ty Gibbs on the delayed caution call<\/p>\n Ty Gibbs crossed the finish line in second, matching his career-best run from Darlington last year, but the question remained: What if NASCAR had thrown the caution flag in time? He might have had another crack at the lead. Then again, as Tyler Reddick pointed out, the final laps would\u2019ve turned into an all-out brawl, and Gibbs just as easily could\u2019ve lost ground in the shuffle.<\/p>\n