Denny Hamlin has called for changes in NASCAR’s caution procedure after Josh Berry suffered a delayed response to his crash during the Chicago Street Race. On the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin expressed concern over NASCAR taking too long to throw the caution flag following Berry’s wreck, emphasizing the potential dangers of the delay with the keyword Josh Berry NASCAR caution timing central to his critique.

Hamlin described the incident, stating,

“Yes, I mean he was sitting there, driver’s door first into a corner that is heavy, heavy breaking,”

and added,

“Absolutely. That was a late call.”

He highlighted the issue of timing:

I don’t think you got to wait. There was a balance to be had there. Think about this, I believe I saw [Josh Berry] twice. So I went around him when he hit the inside of (Turn) 7. I was one of the cars that went around him. And then, I saw him in a different spot, sitting driver’s door first. That’s a minute and a half. How about wait 30 seconds, wait 45 seconds, not a minute and a half. Can’t let the field come back through there.

Concerns Over NASCAR’s Monitoring During Road Course Races

Hamlin also raised questions about NASCAR’s ability to monitor crashes effectively on road course tracks. He pointed out the difficulty in managing multiple corners and race incidents simultaneously. Hamlin asked,

“How many people they have watching the corners?”

He further commented on the operational challenges:

If they got cameras on all corners, which they say they do, then you got to have a person per camera. You can’t look at multiple monitors and think that you’re catching it all. That’s not realistic, but I don’t know whether they’re willing to put the manpower into that. I don’t know whether they’re willing to spend the money to do that because obviously they did this to save money in the long run.

Josh Berry’s Challenging Day at the Chicago Street Race

Josh Berry’s crash occurred on the 29th lap of the Chicago Street Race, ending his day prematurely and resulting in a 34th-place finish. This marked Berry’s second consecutive race finishing outside the top 30. Despite the recent difficulties, Berry remains playoff-bound following his earlier victory at Las Vegas. The 34-year-old is in his second season as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver and is currently with Wood Brothers Racing. Last year, he raced with Stewart-Haas Racing and finished 27th in the overall Cup standings.

Implications and Future Expectations for NASCAR’s Safety Calls

Hamlin’s criticisms underscore a significant concern about race safety protocols and their effectiveness, particularly during road course events where monitoring multiple corners is essential. The delay in addressing Berry’s crash not only raised safety worries but also highlighted potential resource constraints within NASCAR’s race control. Moving forward, there may be pressure on NASCAR to invest in improved monitoring systems and personnel to ensure quicker caution responses, minimizing risks to drivers and enhancing overall race safety.