NASCAR veteran Michael Waltrip found himself in hot water Sunday after a cringey mistake during the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. As grand marshal, Waltrip was given the special honor of waving the yellow flag for the new promoter’s caution — but it didn’t go as planned.
Fans Trash Michael Waltrip Following the All-Star Snafu
The promoter’s caution is a new rule allowing NASCAR to throw a yellow flag mid-race if things get too boring. It’s supposed to spice things up and keep fans on the edge of their seats.
At North Wilkesboro, the caution came on Lap 216 of the 250-lap race. Under the direction of Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith, Waltrip waved the yellow to break things up and build some late-race drama.
But instead of a cool TV moment with fireworks in the background, Waltrip’s flag slipped out of his hand and dropped onto the track — right on live TV. The flub drew laughs and eye-rolls, with FOX announcer Mike Joy taking a jab:
“Oh no, you had one job!”
You had one job, @MW55. 😅 #AllStarRace pic.twitter.com/o2GUBqNGaI
— North Wilkesboro Speedway (@NWBSpeedway)
It didn’t take long for the internet to pile on. One fan blasted the moment as “clown s***,” while another joked that NASCAR missed a chance to mic him up.
Others were less amused. One user wrote,
“This thing with Michael Waltrip in the flag stand is so f***ing douchey. We aren’t children. Stop.”
Another fan asked, “Why is it that absolutely everything Michael Waltrip does during any sort of NASCAR broadcast comes across as awkward, amateurish, hokey, and cringeworthy?”
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Some used humor to roast the situation, like one tweet that said:
“Michael Waltrip waives the Promoter’s Caution… THIS is the state of NASCAR in 2025.”
It’s not Waltrip’s first mishap either — fans may remember when he accidentally dropped his phone on the track in a previous race.
Still, the race continued without issue, and Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing ended up winning the $1 million prize by edging out Joey Logano in the closing laps.