On his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin stated that while fans looking for excitement may not have liked the call, every driver in the field would agree it was necessary given the circumstances. He explained that keeping the race green in those conditions would have increased the risk of injury, as drivers left vulnerable on the track could have been hit by other cars still racing at full speed.
According to Hamlin, this decision aligned with what drivers had requested after Saturday night’s Xfinity Series race at the same track, where NASCAR allowed the event to continue despite a debris-covered racing surface. On Sunday morning, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, Elton Sawyer, admitted that letting the Xfinity race stay green was a mistake.
