Dale Earnhardt Jr. slammed NASCAR’s controversial call during the Darlington Cup Series event. Although Brad Keselowski spun off Turn 4, a caution wasn’t thrown until four laps later — cutting short the green-flag pit cycle.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Blasts NASCAR for Darlington Decision That Altered the Race’s Outcome
Keselowski changed tires on Lap 133. Two laps later, a loose right rear lug nut caused his No. 6 Ford to spin. Luckily, the 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion kept the car under control, avoided contact, and returned safely to pit road.
NASCAR kept the race green, but when debris was discovered in the restart zone on Lap 139, officials were forced to throw the caution. The timing wiped out the positions gained by drivers during the pit cycle — a move that didn’t sit well with Earnhardt Jr.
He pointed out that there have been other times when officials waited to throw the caution to avoid flipping the field. Ironically, that exact scenario played out here, and Earnhardt Jr. argued NASCAR could have waited just a few more laps.
“I felt like it was, personally, from what I could tell watching the race,” the NASCAR legend said on his podcast.
“I thought it (wheel nut) was far enough out of the way, (and) that they (officials) could’ve waited for the end of the pit cycle. I’ve seen them do that in the past. I’ve seen them understand that ‘we can’t turn the field upside down. In this situation, we have to handle it, but we can give it a few more laps.’
“Another thing that happens too is the spotters around the race track; NASCAR officials will have this chatter on the radio. And then the spotters for the teams are up on the top of the tower talking back down to the crew chiefs and so forth, saying, ‘Hey, they’re talking about this?’
“So, there is a way for NASCAR, inadvertently, to encourage teams to get their cycle finished, right? Is there language, or temperament, or a delivery or a tone in discussing that debris down on the apron that would get the team because some teams will go, ‘Whoa, we are not pitting! They’re about to throw a yellow! We’ll stay out!’ Is there an opposite effect that they could have?”
Keselowski also called out NASCAR’s inconsistent flag policy. He took to X to respond to a fan who criticized NASCAR for not throwing a yellow flag during his spin.
“It doesn’t bother me when yellows don’t get thrown for me, or I get penalties that are questionable,” Keselowski wrote. “IT MAKES ME MAD AS HELL when it’s not the same for others, which has been the case too many times over the last few years.”
The post came in response to a fan who had blasted NASCAR for not calling a caution when Keselowski had a loose wheel in the middle of the track. Once Keselowski joined the conversation, he received overwhelming support from fans.