When Chase Elliott has something on his mind, you better believe he’s going to say it. And after NASCAR rolled out its format changes for the 2025 All-Star Race, one of the sport’s most popular drivers had a few things to get off his chest.
Elliott was out and about in New York City on Thursday, making the rounds on different shows to promote the upcoming Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway. But while he was smiling for the cameras, there was one hot topic he couldn’t dodge — NASCAR’s brand-new All-Star Race format.
Chase Elliott on All-Star Race Format: ‘It’s a Bold Move’
Earlier this week, NASCAR released the official format for the 2025 All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, which includes some controversial changes. They bumped the All-Star Race from 200 laps to 250 and introduced a brand-new twist called the “promoter’s caution.” Essentially, a yellow flag NASCAR can wave anytime they feel like it, before the final 30 laps, just to shake things up. It’s a bold move, and depending on when and how it’s used, it could be either a game-changer or cause a lot of drama.
NASCAR’s official statement read, “A single, optional promoter’s caution flag potentially will be in the mix to reshape the race’s complexion. If that yellow flag takes place, it must fly before Lap 220 and cannot be used if a naturally occurring caution happens after Lap 200.”
NASCAR, North Wilkesboro Speedway Announce 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race Formathttps://t.co/dSl5w6EeAp#NASCAR #AllStarRace pic.twitter.com/kCEQjOVggv
— Save The Speedway (@savethespeedway)
During an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Elliott didn’t mince words when asked about the changes. He’s not totally against the promoter’s caution idea. Still, he made it clear he’s not exactly throwing a party for it either, considering NASCAR has made some “questionable” decisions regarding cautions before.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m not opposed to it,” Elliott said. “I think that there’s been some questionable cautions thrown in the course of the history of the sport in general, so I’d just as soon know that that’s coming and that’s the plan beforehand, that they have one that they’re gonna throw that they’ve announced is gonna be for entertainment purposes.”
He added, “I’m cool with that. I have no issues with it. That race to me is all about just having fun and putting on a good show, and if the show looks like it needs help, then they have something in their pocket to help it be entertaining.”
NASCAR says they just want to avoid another snoozer like last year, when Joey Logano pretty much led the whole thing from start to finish. The promoter’s caution could level the playing field and give more drivers a shot at the win. There’s also a scheduled competition caution around Lap 100 to give everyone a chance to reset.
Before all the All-Star drama kicks off, Elliott and the rest of the Cup Series drivers are headed to Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 27. And if you know anything about Talladega, you know that track doesn’t need any extra chaos — it brings its own.
The All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway will be held on May 19, where we’ll get to see if the new promoter’s caution rule shakes things up in a good way or stirs up even more controversy.
One thing’s for sure — Elliott will be watching, racing, and telling it exactly like it is.
