Another former NASCAR driver is accusing the stockcar circuit of manipulating races in an effort to engage fans.
Speaking on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, Casey Mears named three 2005 races where he felt a likely victory was taken from him by a late caution flag.
‘You feel like there was a late yellow in that race that you were gonna win?’ asked Earnhardt.
‘100 percent,’ Mears responded.
Mears had the same answer when Earnhardt asked if the caution flags were unnecessary.
‘And you felt like, if you had won that race, your whole career would’ve been different?’ Earnhardt asked.
Speaking on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, Casey Mears named three 2005 races where he felt a likely victory was taken from him by a late caution flag
Casey Mears (pictured in the No. 41 car) believes a late caution cost him in Atlanta in 2005
Former NASCAR driver Carl Edwards was frustrated by a controversial caution flag in 2016
It was then that Mears launched into a detailed answer, naming three such races.
‘We were leading Texas at the end, had a caution with like five to go,’ he said. ‘We were leading Atlanta, had a caution with like six or eight to go. And we were leading Homestead with 17 to go.
‘It was purely an opportunity to make the racing more exciting.’
Mears made it clear he doesn’t think he was targeted by NASCAR.
Rather, he believes circuit officials were conspiring to make a photo finish, or something approaching that.
‘I don’t think that they did that in a way of, you know, ‘We need this other guy to win the race,’ Mears said. ‘And I got to say, the fans, from a fan’s perspective, to get like a green, white or chequered or a late race run, it was exciting. You know, I can’t say that it was wrong, you know, but I can say it didn’t work in my favor.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to NASCAR spokespeople for comment.
Earnhardt Jr. heard similar allegations from former NASCAR driver Carl Edwards last month.
And just like Mears, Edwards’ 2016 incident also took place at Homestead in South Florida.
‘I know NASCAR was throwing those cautions to make it more exciting,’ Edwards said. ‘That’s a fact.’
