To call the 2026 Daytona 500 a wreck-fest would be an understatement, as at least 37 of 41 cars sustained some damage during the Great American Race. To make matters even more shocking, the last lap of the race saw multiple wrecks, yet the race stayed green as Tyler Reddick took the checkered flag. While fans enjoyed the race without overtime, it wasn’t the same for Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft.

Kraft brings safety into question as NASCAR allowed a green flag finish

Kraft sat with Karsyn Elledge and Tommy Baldwin in the recent Door Bumper Clear podcast, and this was when he questioned NASCAR’s decision to carry on the race despite the wrecks in the last lap, where at least seven cars were involved.

“I think the yellow has to come out there,” Kraft said. “I don’t think you should ask drivers. I mean, if the wreck happened for the lead and then it got bigger, probably maybe 10th on back, but you shouldn’t be asking your drivers to drive through an accident scene wide open in the Daytona 500. I just can’t understand how that’s good. I think the fans appreciated it.”

Following this, the spotter lauded the governing body for keeping its head and carrying on with the race, keeping in mind the fans’ sentiment. However, he also shed light on the catastrophe the drivers could have caused amid the wreck.

“They appreciate getting the race back to green. I get it. I feel like it’s bad. You’ve got to be careful when you’re driving through a bunch of wrecked cars. And honestly, for me, it surprised me how much smoke there is in the Cup cars versus the Xfinity cars. The tire smoke, for some reason, you can’t see anything when you’re driving through a wreck, a big wreck. It’s so smoky. And honestly, that’s the worst part about it,” Kraft further added.

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In the penultimate lap, Carson Hocevar tried to block Michael McDowell, and in doing so, both drivers were eliminated from the race. The remaining drivers carried on, but Riley Herbst’s effort to keep Brad Keselowski at bay and help his teammate, Tyler Reddick, take the win triggered another wreck involving at least seven cars.

Moments like this naturally reignite an old debate, because this isn’t the first time NASCAR has let a wreck unfold while the leaders raced to the checkered flag.

Over the years, NASCAR has evolved its race-ending procedures to balance safety with the push for green-flag finishes. The green-white-checkered format was introduced in 2004 to avoid races ending under caution, and later refinements, including the overtime line and unlimited attempts, were designed to clarify when a race becomes official.

These rule changes mean race directors must make split-second decisions, weighing the severity of a crash against the desire to let the leaders race to the checkered flag.

The 2007 Daytona 500 delivered one of the most controversial green-flag finishes in race history when Kevin Harvick won as a massive crash unfolded behind the leaders on the final lap. Entering the final lap in sixth place, Harvick made a late charge and edged Mark Martin at the line by just 0.02 seconds, securing his first Daytona 500 victory in dramatic fashion.

However, that win came with immediate controversy, as a multi-car wreck erupted behind them, including a terrifying moment where Clint Bowyer’s car slid across the finish line upside down and on fire.

Martin later admitted he believed NASCAR would throw the caution and claimed he was still ahead when the crash began, but officials kept the race green and let the results stand, fueling the long-running debate over whether safety should outweigh the desire for a natural finish.

Against that historical backdrop, the chaos in 2026 felt like a continuation of the same dilemma.

In total, there were five cautions, including a “Big One” that resulted in a 20-car pile-up, along with a few formidable wrecks, making the 2026 edition live up to its name. Amid all this, NASCAR’s decision to continue the race made sense to many fans, something Denny Hamlin, a longtime critic of the stock car racing body, openly appreciated.

Denny Hamlin lauds NASCAR over Daytona 500 consistency

Joe Gibbs Racing star Denny Hamlin applauded NASCAR for carrying on with the race under the green flag despite the last-lap wreck. Speaking about it on a recent episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast, here’s what the 23XI Racing co-owner said:

“It was a great finish. I didn’t get to see it. I was on the other side of the racetrack, just trying to get my car to minimum speed in case there was another crash. Maybe I gained a few spots.”

Tyler Reddick claimed victory at the Daytona 500, ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Joey Logano. Denny Hamlin finished the race in 31st place after getting caught up in a wreck on Lap 198 of 200.