Sunday's FireKeepers Casino 400 included a dramatic finish, but racing fans probably can't help but wonder what the race would have been like had there not been so many caution flags.
Twelve of the final 20 laps of the race were run under caution, and one of those caution flags was waved due to debris on the track. Kyle Larson might've won the race anyway, but the caution flag bunched the drivers together late, and it impacted several drivers.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and former NASCAR legend Tony Stewart were both critical of the debris caution flags following the race. In his post-race Periscope, Earnhardt Jr. said, "I don't know why they've got to throw so many damn debris yellows."
Post Michigan https://t.co/agctJoKvlE
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 18, 2017
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Stewart addressed the issue on Twitter following the race.
It's a shame that so many drivers and teams day was ruined by the results of another "debris" caution towards the end of the race today.
— Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) June 18, 2017
NASCAR senior vice president of competition Scott Miller said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that they will "err on the side of caution" if they can't identify an object on the track.
If officials didn't wave the caution flag and something dangerous was on the track, it could result in a crash involving several cars. It's understandable why drivers and fans are frustrated at the rule, but it's also easy to see where NASCAR is coming from with the caution flags.
(h/t NBC Sports)