Hamlin continues on NASCAR’s ‘fake’ cautions

Denny Hamlin maintained his belief that NASCAR throws debris cautions when it wants at times, echoing similar statements after last weekend's win at Michigan. Hamlin was asked on Friday at Infineon Raceway about any feedback he had heard from his comments last week about how he expected a debris caution late in that race (as he held a 10-second lead) and how he understood it was best for the fans to have the field closer.

Here's what Hamlin said Friday: "At no point was I the one to get pissed off about that caution because I knew it was going to happen,'' Hamlin said.

"Legitimate or not, the odds are that we were going to have some non-wreck caution in the last half of the race. Pocono it was the same way (the last of 3 debris cautions in the race came 25 laps from the end), we had a long green flag spell and I knew it was going to be a matter of time before we see a caution for one reason or another. I think there's always debris around the track. Without a doubt you can call anything debris. I can look out right now and I can see debris pretty close to the race track (as he looked out the window to the track). You can say that's a legitimate safety hazard. I think it's the timing there. It is right there. Let's pick it up to tighten things up. Let's regroup. For the sake of show, it's OK but the sake of competition it's not always the right thing. I think if we weren't talking about that last week, if NASCAR would have let it go, then people were going to be talking about a boring race. That's something that we don't need right now.'' Virginian Pilot

[Editor's Note: Is NASCAR a racing series or a 3-ring circus. Artificial cautions make NASCAR look like a farce – totally unprofessional. No wonder TV ratings and attendance are sinking like a lead anchor. Even the NASCAR Bubbas are starting to see NASCAR for what is has become, a show, not a sport.]