A caution for Ryan Preece ended last weekend's Brickyard 400 and ensured Kyle Larson would win the crown jewel race. The driver of the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang has now weighed in to clear the air about the incident.
Preece spun toward the inside wall with two laps remaining in double overtime. His Ford Mustang came to a rest at the bottom of the track after hitting the wall. Preece tried to get the car rolling once again but was unsuccessful due to a flat right-rear tire.
NASCAR ultimately threw the caution after Larson took the white flag, thus making the race official.
"To clear the air," Preece posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "Normal operating Fuel Pressure is 66psi. When I slowed, the engine went to 12 psi. The engine would not go at WOT. (Wide open throttle) I ran out of fuel."
Chase Elliott's onboard https://t.co/YKGXrcFXHZ pic.twitter.com/ZPXvoWsbkk
— Andrew (@Basso488) July 22, 2024
Onboard camera footage showed that Chase Elliott bumped Preece from behind after the No. 41 significantly slowed.
The timing of the caution, particularly the fact that NASCAR did not throw it until after Larson took the white flag, generated discussion on social media.
Many racing fans were critical of the sanctioning body and its decision-making, saying that it was clear that Preece would not be able to get the car moving due to flat tires. Some people on social media said that NASCAR should have thrown the caution earlier and set up triple overtime.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR SVP of competition, provided comments about the controversial caution after the race. He called the situation unfortunate and provided NASCAR's side of the caution timing discussion.
"Obviously, we'd like for it to play out naturally," Sawyer told NASCAR's Alex Weaver after the race. "We want our teams to race to the checkered flag. We did everything we possibly could. We kept an eye on the (No.) 41.
"He got turned around, he was really giving a solid effort. Once he came to a stop and could tell he had a flat, I think, left-rear tire, he wasn't going to move. We'd already taken the white (flag). We just couldn't run by there again."