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Kenny Wallace calls on NASCAR to ‘get your shit together’ after Atlanta officiating controversies

Nick Profile Picby:Nick Geddes•about 9 hours•

NickGeddesNews

Atlanta
Jason Allen-Imagn Images

Kenny Wallace loves the on-track product NASCAR is putting out week-to-week. But after Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta, Wallace is begging NASCAR to “get your shit together” following the latest officiating controversy.

Last February’s race at Atlanta provided an all-time photo finish between Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch. And on Sunday, it looked as if Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson were going to have their own side-by-side drag race to the start/finish line. That is, until a multi-car crash behind them forced NASCAR to throw the caution flag. Bell was leading at the time the caution lights illuminated, making him the winner.

Consistency there has been none to open up the 2025 season, and Wallace wants to see NASCAR get it fixed.

“NASCAR right now is wishy washy,” Wallace said on X. “They got to have a press conference because right now, we’ve got the best start to a NASCAR season ever. Everything is awesome, NASCAR’s awesome right now. But they have got to figure this out. Everybody just threw their hands into the air like, ‘What the hell?’ So, here’s the problem they’re dealing with. They got to figure something out and I know what to do because I fix things.

“They got to figure out when to throw that caution and when not to. And they got to make a clear acknowledgement of it because we’re side-by-side coming to the start/finish line every time. Now, on the other hand, that tells you how good these races are. See, right now I’m chewing NASCAR’s ass out but I’m also saying how good everything is. My God, it can’t get any better right now, but they are so inconsistent with these caution flags. Get your shit together, guys. … I love y’all, but you got to get your shit together.”

NASCAR’s inconsistent rulings come into question after weekend at Atlanta

In the Xfinity race the day prior, NASCAR made a different decision in a near identical situation. As the leaders were racing to the checkered flag, a multi-car wreck was taking place behind them. NASCAR did not throw the caution, allowing the race to finish under green. The sanctioning body handled the final lap of the Daytona 500 the same way, not throwing the caution as the “Big One” took place down the back straightaway.

But during Sunday’s prerace meeting, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer admitted to the drivers they made a mistake with the ruling in the Xfinity race. Sawyer said that if a similar situation presented itself in the Cup race, the caution would be thrown. It did, and Sawyer stayed true to his word.

In the end, Wallace believes NASCAR made the correct call.

“They were wrecking halfway in the middle of the field,” Wallace said. “Like, if you got 40 cars and the 20th-place cars are wrecking and they’re sliding all around, you need to throw the caution because you don’t want 30th through 40th to run into everybody. You got to throw the caution because if you don’t, they won’t let off the gas.”