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Michael Waltrip drops yellow flag on front stretch at North Wilkesboro, multiple cars run over flag

JHby: Jonathan Howard05/19/25Jondean25
Michael Waltrip NASCAR All Star Race
Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The promoter’s caution is out at North Wilkesboro in the NASCAR All-Star Race, via Michael Waltrip…and he DROPPED the flag! Serving as the grand marshal today for the race, Waltrip was given the task of waving the yellow flag for the promoter’s caution. And disaster struck.

We knew that the promoter’s caution would be a big deal. Joey Logano has dominated so far in this race. Well, it ended up being a pretty big deal.

Fireworks shot off as Michael Waltrip waved the flag. Maybe he got scared by the noise? At any rate, the flag ended up on the track. Only Mikey…

Michael Waltrip, the lovable goof of NASCAR. It was 29 years ago to the day that he won the 1996 All-Star Race. Josh Berry was racing in a No. 21 DEX Imaging Ford made to look like Waltrip’s old CITGO paint scheme. While Berry didn’t walk away with the win, it was a nice tribute.

The caution created a situation where drivers and teams decided whether to take tires or stay out. Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney both stayed out and it ended up being the wrong call. Blaney dropped like a rock early on after the restart and then Logano had to fight with all he had to keep Christopher Bell off his back.

Well, it wasn’t enough. It may not have been enough even without the promoter’s caution. Bell was starting to gain on Logano as the run went on. Kyle Larson was also starting to have issues with his car as he got into the wall. That caution was coming late in this race, one way or another.

Michael Waltrip throws controversial caution

Joey Logano was not happy after the race. He lost, after all, why would he be happy? The only thing that matters in the All-Star Race is winning the trophy and the big check. Everything else that happens isn’t worth a squat.

“I’m pissed off right now,” Logano said after the race. “We had the fastest car. I got bit by the caution situation. It felt like the falloff wasn’t too bad. The 20 had a good enough of a restart to clear many of them too fast. I did all I could to hold him off.”

The caution situation with Michael Waltrip and Marcus Smith isn’t going to be one that Joey Logano will ever agree with. But his team made the choice not to pit late. Everyone else went to pit road. If he truly had the fastest car, he should have put himself on an even playing field with regard to tires. They didn’t and lost. That was a conscious decision.