Phantom Cautions 

“Man I’m bored, throw a yellow”

7:52 Why do I have the misfortune at attending so many of the worst phantom caution races? After that Kenseth "smoke" caution I gave up and just started downing my boxed wine I had brought into the track. After Truex ate it to end the race, my buddy had to drive my car and me back to the hotel.

nascar is that type of officiating that would really throw a caution for a microbe of dust yet won’t for a 30 car crash

The look on Matt Kenseth's pit crewman at 3:02 is priceless. "Aw fuck, we just spent our hot asses out here all day changing tires just to have the rear axle eat shit."

Firstly, yes at that ending Second, while I agree the officiating body throws phantom cautions for more drama/excitement, I do think the comparison to cautions in the 80s/90s is misguided. The main reason cautions were so infrequent then is because of safety standards being different. Drivers were darting down pit road at full speed instead of a set speed limit, drivers were racing back to the flag under caution, etc. Once Earnhardt perished everything went through a metamorphosis to what was refined in the mid 2000s and what would give us more cautions even if the officiating body weren't fishing for drama all the time

Gotta love the opposite side of the phantom caution: the obvious yellow flag situation but all the nascar officials blinked at the same time and didn't see it.

I’m always get hyped when Elly has a new video

3:10 that was a SMOOTH transition

"Also deplatform sssniperwolf k byeeee" 😂

When Elly uploads, you know its a good day

I died laughing when he said “limited horsepower, ahh!”

respect for the random shot taken at S(hit)S(hit)SniperWolf at the end

Going to Michigan for 6 years in a row I can confirm that instead of PJ1 or resin being put down they put down debris

Thank you for mentioning that 2015 Auto Club race. That crap was rigged. There is no way they didn't want Kurt Busch to lose that race. I have never been madder at a race in my life.

NASCAR did that at Fontana because Kurt Busch and his “legal/personal troubles” at the time.

13:40 Thats something that I didnt expect but I happily welcome

this is just "nascar's officiating sucks" part 2 not like that's a bad thing

Bobby Isaac's voice incident was in '73, so it was 43 years before Edwards last race, not 46. And it just ended his season (and his ride with Bud Moore), not quite his career. He still made a handful of starts from '74-'76.

NASCAR fining Smoke 100k is the craziest thing ever. He’s spitting fax and they know it.

Nascar officials during a good race: "Hmm, not enough controversy" (throws the yellow)

Scariest part of the video is sniperwolf!

I always hated stages already, and this added to it

I'm LOVIN' the Scooby-Doo sound effects. Welcome back Elly! You were missed!🎃

This topic is scary af… I don’t know if I can make it through this video. When the caution flies for no reason I always get a shiver up my spine

Good video but I think a few key pieces are missing -one of the biggest blames for the rise of phantom cautions was the 2004 MBNA America 400. Kasey kahne on his way to win number one (a phrase often said in 2004) and he hits Oil on the track and wrecks ending his race. Some people take this race as nascar getting very jumpy with throwing cautions. which going by the chart lines up. if I had to guess if someone on the radio mentioned debris or fluid, nascar got jumpy on the caution button. -2017 drop off did have stage racing, but I think something else also contributed to much less debris cautions. 2017 was the first year of the DVP policy. for those that don't know. If you're involved in a crash or accident, nascar gives you a certain amount of time (which has been anywhere from 5-8 minutes) to fix the damage and meet minimum average speed. While most people hate this policy, the drop off in debris cautions can correlate with it having an effect on those. since now cars running back of the field wrapped in more duct tape then sponsorship weren't dropping debris all over the place. -Less debris cautions before the 2000s I think can also be contributed to safety standards and also worse track cameras. wasn't until 2004 at the daytona 500 that HD broadcasting was a thing, so higher quality footage of the track which actually allowed us to see debris better then a race marshal sitting on a stand. Just a couple of things I think are important parts of this. I do think nascar is guilty of the phantom caution no doubt, but there was a lot of factors in this

Hey Connor you do such a great job with these kind of videos. I’ve recently started watching your channel but have caught up on all of your older videos and man I can watch them over and over. You have such a great documentary type voice I guess that’s what you would call it but you have such a great voice for this stuff and your videos themselves are well put together. If you released a hour long video I’ll would watch the whole thing aslong if I had dinner right with me. You might not see this but if you do I see your channel going far in the future just keep doing what your doing bud great work.👍

1:05 somewhere in the Blaney photo, is some yay-hoo kakis taking photos. Wouldn't want to be that guy.

I can tell you had fun with this one. Good job, and keep trucking!

“Man don’t you hate it when imaginary debris can ruin your race? Especially wreck you?”

Something that I didn't see mentioned about Fontana in 2015. You could argue that NASCAR did not want Kurt to win that race. Due to the allegations against him that would turn out to bogus in the end.

You seriously are going in the HOF of NASCAR youtubers

What if the phantom cautions were just the friends we made along the way?

That ending. I didn't expect my nice interests to intersect like that.

I was at 2015 Fontana and even I don’t remember the debris caution, just bumper falling off and the biffle spin

I have a theory about why the phantom cautions ran rampant in the late 2000s to 2010s : It's because NASCAR was so popular in that time period. It's the same reason we have the post season : NASCAR was popular, and they wanted to maintain that popularity. How do you keep the casuals around? Phantom cautions keep it entertaining at the end. Sure, it'll cost you any sort of integrity and the long times could've, and did pick up on it and notice. And they left. Are the phantom cautions the sole reason? No, but they were part of the reason.

One I remember was when NASCAR threw the caution at Bristol by accident for nothing that ended the race. It was either the 2014 or 2015 spring race. They admitted their mistake the next day.

I’ve been waiting for a while for Elly to make a video now that it’s here I’m really happy

EP never disappoints when it comes to documentaries.

13:41 LMAO 😭

i really loved that long, single shot intro. very fluid and natural, at least to me. fun way to start the spooky video.

Man just uploads heater after heater good work!

Brian France was the worst thing to happen to American Sports. He will never be missed

I'll never understand why the racing bodies think forced cautions makes a race "better". Yes, having close races and championship battles are good. But they have to come naturally.

Another EllyProductions Banger

NASCAR went into the 2016 Homestead race intending for Jimmie to win by all means necessary. They wanted a third 7 time champion.

I totally watched it all the way through!

Elly upload = QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT

I dont know if this counts but NASCAR waiting to throw a caution in the 2021 Buschy McBusch Race 400 for a tire in the infield until pit cycles were completed really pissed me off. Either throw the yellow when you see it or dont throw it at all... Also great video like always!

The only consistant thing in NASCAR is NASCAR's inconsistency!

That last NASCAR clip shown was also an example of a phantom caution. This time NASCAR got spooked by a rainbow

Wish that NASCAR would get rid of stage cautions for all tracks

I also just wish they’d remove the stage cautions altogether. It breaks up the race in a way that doesn’t need to be done. It’s pretty much guaranteed that a caution will come out for some spin I’m the middle of the race. I don’t mind the idea of stage points, but the yellow flags that break the race up are so annoying and basically ruin the point of trying to gain a big lead before the late part of a race. I wouldn’t mind if they handled it similarly to how they currently handle road courses. Just aware the stage points for who reaches said stage first.

that transition at 3:11

It got so bad that when my dad my uncle and I would watch races if the yellow came out at all “OHHPP INVISIBLE DEBRIS”

Babe wake up Elly dropped a new banger

It's kinda sad to see NASCAR bend over backwards to create drama with these phantom yellows, only for most of them to end up as forgotten pieces of trivia. NASCAR can never get out of its own way

Love this video essay you put out about this topic on cautions but man…if we see a phantom caution tomorrow at Martinsville that could effect a drivers way into the Championship 4, I’ll blame Nascar officials for watching this video. They would probably be in the control tower during the end of the race with one official saying “Ya know, I watched a video yesterday about phantom cautions that were being thrown notoriously during the 2010’s, let’s just throw one in randomly with two laps to go since there’s a lot of fire buildup in Turns [1-4].”

Stage breaks also give crews chances to routinely check tracks for debris under yellow. While not as conspiracy-supporting, it could explain the caution decrease starting in 2017

This is why stages exist so nascar can throw a caution funny thing is they were still throwing phantom cautions in 2017 especially in Michigan thst year, they had dale jr complain on tv that day about the cautious

I like to call it the "NASCAR Caution". It's amazing how many races just magically have a yellow with less than 20 laps to go. And it almost always goes into overtime. I just expect it at this point. And yet I'm still left disappointed when it happens again.

That incident with the #15 at Richmond is exactly like the Kyle Busch "yellow" at Richmond last week.

The Burger King ghost for what 😂

after the first soundtrack ends, what is that second music track?

Suárez spinning AND SAVING, BELOW THE APRON, at the 2023 Daytona 500, causing Kyle Busch to lose out on the only trophy that he needs. F*CK STENHOUSE THAT RACE WAS BUSCH'S TO LOSE

This video elucidated something else for me - NASCAR's announcers, especially on NBC play stooges for NASCAR's poor decision making, always playing defense for poor officiating decisions and massaging details to fit their narrative. Like, NASCAR isn't faultless by any means, but it doesn't help to have the voice on TV insist we're dumber than we know we are when they inevitably fuck up.

new elly video!!!!!

I just went to a big modified race at my home track and they threw a caution immediately for a rim falling off but waited 30 whole seconds to throw a caution for a car spun in the middle of the track in turn 2

I was at that race at Michigan 2017 and I was so confused when the yellow came out. I thought maybe something was blocking it from my POV

I do agree with NASCAR’s decision regarding Earnhardt at Rockingham. They screwed up, threw the yellow, and then put the lineup back to when E came in to pitch as that was the best thing they could’ve done at that time. As for another Phantom caution. Watkins Glen 1995 - Wally Dallenbach had an 11 second lead over Mark Martin when a caution came out for “Oil on the track.” Try it was to bunch up the pack and let Martin win.

As a former child, I uh…. Grew up with Phantom Yellows. Stupid NASCAR thing, but I’ve seen way worse. Scarier things….

Every major league sport is rigged. Been saying it for almost a decade now. Tony put it perfectly “if it worked In Wrestling and pro fighting, why wouldn’t it work in pro racing and other pro sports?” People always think “o my sport is so big there’s no way it could be rigged” which is just more reason to rig it.

3:15 I mean, there IS something sitting in the low groove in turn 4, not exactly a phantom caution

3:14 there definitely isn't a piece of metal in the bottom lanes right there

elliots not leading, boys you know what to do

YES ITS THAT TIME OF THE WEEK

luigis mansion dark moon theme goes crazy broooo

2015 Fontana was a quite egregious one. Edit: 2:40 LOL I made this comment just as the video started. Also it wasn't just Brad's only win at the track, it was his only win THAT SEASON

Elly looks like Tyler Reddick

2012 Michigan. NASCAR throws a caution for Biffle out of fuel in turn 3, where he could roll to pit road. This meant Travis Kvapil could not stretch the fuel. This handed Dale Jr the win.

I was at the 2017 richmond fall race, somewhat met truex jr and mark martin, got autographs from both of them. Was a fan of truex from the moment i got that autograph. I was sitting in Turn 1 which was pretty good seats for my first night race. Apart from the 20 or so laps Jr led i was rooting for truex. I was torn up when he was dumped and the stands started to empty and everyone around me were pissed almost as soon as that happened. I believe amirola won that one, correct me if im wrong

In other forms of motorsport stewards may run onto the track, if it's safe, and pick up debris without any yellow needing to be thrown. It's risky, but it's done a lot. I sorta feel like this is riskier on a nascar track, but it's situationally/track dependent. Edit: I did it once and a car came around a corner and I pretty much shat my pants running back to the barrier

I also place the single car spin and facing back in the right direction and going again within 3 seconds caution as the same situation. As a 90s fan who recently started watching again recently absolutely unnecessary cautions are rampant. 8 lap caution for a single car spin with no debris???? What gives

And for some reason, I would prefer that over Stage cautions.

I'd like to point out that the high numbers were during Brian Frances tenure or whatever that goofs name was

The more stats and NASCAR decisions I see from the mid to late 2000's... The more I understand that NASCAR executives are more than likely the biggest reason of the decline of NASCAR popularity

For the 2017 fall Richmond race it's important to remember that the night before during the Xfinity race, absolutely nothing happened. It was one of the most boring races ever. NASCAR was trying to keep the Cup race from being too boring but unfortunately it's Richmond and it hasn't been exciting for many years. Denny plowing into the 78 was uncalled for but JGR had been sabotaging the Furniture Row team for the last few weeks at that point. Just some interesting context for that race.

Folks, it wasn’t all “Donnie and Cale on the backstretch” and “I was just rattling his cage” week-in and week-out in the 90’s. There were more than a fair share of races where there were 2-3 cars on the lead lap and first is 15 seconds ahead with ten to go. Debris cautions suck when your driver loses, but you know what else sucks? Knowing who’s going to win a hundred miles into a 500-mile race. Knowing that there’s at least two race breaks where pit crews can earn their keep and where strategy comes into play at least keeps me invested to the final stage, whereas I couldn’t think of the last time I stayed awake through a full race at MIS or Pocono pre-stage. It’s not the best solution but nobody wants to spend money on all the other solutions.

If given the choice between being trapped in a mausoleum overnight or having to rewatch the 2015 Auto Club 400, I would choose the former in a heartbeat.

I got no idea why but the opening reminded me of an old Jontron episode for some reason xd

*cries in 2016 homestead*

NASCAR probably keeps throwing debris cautions at Michigan because they keep mistaking it for Detroit and I hate when I'm at this track and a debris caution is thrown and there is no debris

W video

spoooky

Just another reason I dislike stag racing. Green flag pit spots are what makes NASCAR a good sport to watch.

What about 2021 Daytona road course

Whenever I get annoyed at the FIA, there's always some bs from NASCAR to outdo them...

It's obvious. After dale died it immediately doubled in a year

Like the shoe Danica ran over ?

Two words: caution clock

W end to the video