“The change is being prevented by red tape,” said Denny Hamlin recently, commenting on NASCAR’s delayed horsepower updates for the Next-Gen car. This is hardly the only thing that needs fixing in the sport. The short-track package continued to be at an all-time low at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Kyle Larson again led for 411 of 500 laps. The rowdy conflicts in the Xfinity Series called for stricter action. But instead of diligently handling these problems, the higher-ups are pooling more power.

The 2025 All-Star Race will be flagged off in a month, on the May 16- 18th weekend. Many star-studded victories have unfolded at the non-points race before, but this season is going to see a tweak to the proceedings, and fans are outraged by it!

Big NASCAR tweaks at North Wilkesboro

Well, the 2024 All-Star Race was like a movie to watch with popcorn in your hand. In the very first few laps, Kyle Busch spun out Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and set the pace for a wild day. Stenhouse patiently waited on the pit road until the end of the race, when he started a fistfight. Although all efforts will be undertaken to avoid such a mishap again, NASCAR is in line to receive a barrage of verbal blows from the fan base. The Next-Gen car has already stripped a lot of control from the drivers. With its single-source parts and curtailing aerodynamic features, teams can do little to tweak strategies every weekend. Now, the executives have come up with something that further depletes drivers’ authority.

Caution flags are waved when a race car malfunctions, crashes, or causes a wreck. However, the All-Star Race will feature a fabricated caution flag for the first time. This year, the race will be extended from 200 to 250 laps and there may be a competition caution during Laps 101-220 of the 250-lap race. Called the ‘promoter’s caution’, the idea is to keep drivers and crew chiefs guessing about when that ghost caution will be called as part of the $1 million-to-win event on May 18. According to Jeff Gluck, the who’s who of the sport are involved: “NASCAR says it will be “Marcus Smith and Speedway Motorsports” who determine when the promoter’s caution happens in the All-Star Race.” If there is a natural caution after Lap 200 and the promoter’s caution has not yet been called, then it will not be thrown.

Marcus Smith is the chief executive of Speedway Motorsports, and he has not been devoid of controversy in recent times. Cup Series veteran Denny Hamlin got into an ugly verbal spat on X with Smith in 2024 over the repaving of tracks in California. While the conversation started there, it led to unwarranted personal jabs. Smith wrote to Hamlin on X, “We’ve seen your attempt of the championship as well. When you have a chance, maybe you could give me some golf tips,” alluding to Hamlin having the most wins in Cup Series history without a championship.

Hamlin fired back with, “Here’s your tip. Let someone else run your business before you blow everything your dad gave you.” With this beef simmering in the background, the ‘promoter’s caution’ would spark mass outrage if called when Hamlin is leading the race. However, this isn’t the only addition to this year’s race.

There will also be a manufacturer showdown. Based on their final starting positions, the least represented manufacturer and an equal number of drivers from the other two manufacturers will be selected. NASCAR will score teams against each other (not by overall All-Star finish). The lowest combined total of finishing positions will be the winning manufacturer.

John Probst, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer, emphasized how these changes add to the innovative spirit of the All-Star Race. “Returning to historic North Wilkesboro Speedway for the third year in a row allows us to honor our sport’s roots while pushing the envelope with fresh competitive elements. The introduction of the Manufacturer Showdown brings a new layer of intensity and pride for our OEM partners, and fans can expect even more strategy, teamwork, and drama on race day.”

However, fans’ expectations are already reaching rock bottom. The recent announcements prompted a flurry of disappointed reactions.

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Fans take objection to the new rule

Well, the All-Star Race has always been a seat of experimentation. For instance, the multiple tire compounds of prime and option tires were implemented only after trials at the 2017 All-Star Race. Then the 2009 event saw NASCAR testing double-file restarts. Last year, Goodyear tested its softer option tires. However, the sport’s newest innovation raised eyebrows among fans. One fan unequivocally opposed handing the right to call cautions to the track’s executive: “This should never happen. Can’t believe we are even talking about this, let alone it actually being a thing.” The mere idea of handing the reins of a race to an executive got on a fan’s nerves. It would compromise the natural excitement that comes in a race, as a fan pleaded, “Hopefully it’s not used. 🙏🏻”

As we all know, NASCAR’s Next-Gen car has given a toss about the short-track racing package. The sport recruited Goodyear to place Band-Aids after the wildly successful 2024 Food City 500 spring race, which saw 54 lead changes. Despite little improvement, the tire brand has not been able to establish much. So one fan said that more such ‘fixes’ should be on the schedule instead of the latest All-Star gimmick. They wrote, “When fans said “fix the racing at short tracks”, they did not mean this kind of “fix”.” Considering that NASCAR was always based on the nostalgia of fans, somebody else suggested something even more radical. Drivers are stripped of their control anyway, so why not strip it further? “It should be up to the fans! Hahaha.”

The visual spectacle that would result from the ‘promoter’s caution’ also baffled fans. After all, caution flags are only thrown when there is a genuine need for them. That is how the legitimacy of a race winner’s trophy is also determined. The slightest discrepancy can lead to controversy. Just consider Denny Hamlin‘s jump restart in the 2024 Richmond race or Parker Kligerman’s stolen win in Charlotte. So a fan warned: “This is going to be a huge mistake. If they realize in advance, they will say that they chose the lap in advance of the race and held it quiet. But anything else and it will look like Smith handing a buddy a Million bucks. And depending on the way the drivers contract is structured, the team as well.”

Evidently, NASCAR may be toeing the line of controversy for the All-Star Race. Let us see if the higher-ups pay heed to this widespread disenchantment or not. What do you think of the ‘promoter’s caution’? Let us know in the comments!