NASCAR’s officiating procedure is, once again, under the scanner at the Michigan International Speedway. With five laps to go in the race, it looked like Tyler Reddick was cruising to a second win of the season. However, Martin Truex Jr, who was running inside the top five, lost the grip of his race car and rammed into the safer barrier.

However, Truex Jr. didn’t lose control of his #19 car and could’ve easily made it to the pit road without interfering with the race. Surprisingly, though, as soon as he made contact with the outside wall, NASCAR was quick to flag out the caution. The Athletic reporter Jeff Gluck, along with many more fans, wondered why NASCAR put out the yellow. And they weren’t happy, especially considering the inconsistency in the race itself.

However, it seemed as though no one was more frustrated about the caution than Tyler Reddick, seeing as it could’ve been avoided. “This is a f**king joke. Come on, it’s bullsh*t,” Reddick said via the team radio. Meanwhile, his crew chief, Billy Scott, was appalled by this decision and replied, “He touched the f**king wall; there’s some paint on the racetrack, good grief.” 

Given how desperate some drivers are for a win with the playoffs edging closer, an overtime finish was something Reddick wanted to avoid. Especially after the drama that unfolded last weekend in Richmond when Austin Dillon wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin to win the race, earning himself a spot in the postseason. Yes, NASCAR subsequently took away his playoff spot, but that entire incident should’ve made NASCAR management realize what drivers would be ready to do to extend their seasons. So, it was understandable why Tyler Reddick and his team were fuming when the caution came out.

Instead of cruising to victory after taking the lead with 12 laps to go, seeing as the 23XI Racing driver had almost a 2-second advantage over William Byron in second, one of the commentators’ predictions came true. They’d said, “If we learned anything in Michigan, it’s not over until someone sees the chequered flag.” With Martin Truex Jr. making contact with the wall and bringing out a (rather unnecessary) caution – considering Austin Cindric’s incident – NASCAR ensured Reddick would be at the mercy of his fellow rivals during the restart.

Update: Tyler Reddick won the race despite another caution shortly after the restart. However, he did come under significant pressure from Williams Byron, even losing the lead at one point.

“Wow, that was a quick trigger finger on the yellow,” Jeff Gluck wrote. As a result of NASCAR’s questionable call as well as their inconsistencies, fans poured in their thoughts and opinions with comments on social media platforms.

For fans, Tyler Reddick’s situation proved there’s “nothing more consistent” than NASCAR’s inconsistency

It was clear as daylight that MTJ wouldn’t impede the action on the racetrack. In fact, he was back up to speed within a few moments of making contact with the wall. The caution just made things edgy for the race leader. Arguing against this decision, a fan wrote, “Complete BS again by NASCAR.”

Unlike the boring superspeedway races, this was indeed a cracker in terms of entertainment. Cars running at 200 mph, with multiple passing opportunities and grip levels on the racetrack. But, NASCAR had to get involved with a weird and controversial ruling, “Quintessential NASCAR. Are you not entertained?” Entertainment, it seems, has been what NASCAR has been going for these past few weeks.

In Richmond, a late caution led the field into overtime, leading to the last-lap drama between Dillon, Logano, and Hamlin. Before the Olympic break in Indianapolis, Tyler Reddick got the short end of the stick because NASCAR threw a caution later than it seemed necessary. On the last lap in overtime, Kyle Larson was in the lead, and Reddick made it to second. However, Ryan Preece hit the wall, but the officials didn’t throw a yellow. Because they felt he would get rolling, they delayed it, but Preece stopped on the track.

Larson had already crossed the line by the time the caution was thrown – about 10 seconds later than it should’ve. As the HMS driver took victory, Tyler Reddick had to settle for P2. Referring to this, another user wrote, “Caution for that but not one at Indy. Wild.” Speaking of Larson – NASCAR’s golden boy – there have been claims of favoritism toward the 31-year-old. But one fan believes it could be more about HMS.

“Do y’all think it would be a caution if Byron wasn’t in 2nd? I doubt it,” they wrote, claiming that NASCAR was trying to set up a race to favor HMS star William Byron. Calling out the organizers’ tactics to manufacture a blockbuster finish to its race, this fan argued, “Less than 20 to go. If someone sneezes wrong, they’re gonna throw it. They like the green white checker finish for some completely stupid reason.”

Although the race in Richmond Raceway may have been a thrilling watch, with drivers taking each other out of contention, it wasn’t pretty at all. Moreover, such officiating would only fuel the potential for total carnage, according to this fan. “NASCAR wants another Richmond moment, I guess.” Coming back to the (unnecessary) caution, many brought up an earlier incident in the race.

Austin Cindric had made contact with the wall in the same place as Martin Truex Jr., and instead of throwing a caution, NASCAR let the race continue. “Cindric hits harder but no caution. Nothing more consistent than NASCAR’s inconsistency.” There’s no question that NASCAR needs consistency with its officiating process. Events like these could lead to big controversies in the playoffs, where margins of error are very fine.