Stage cautions are the bane of modern NASCAR racing. For fans, the most difficult part about stage caution is the long interval that ends up taking too much time before the race gets green-flagged again. However, it seems like the audience isn’t the only one feeling annoyed. Kevin Harvick‘s words from today’s race are a wake-up call to NASCAR.
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“Harvick calling out length of stage cautions, hopefully his bosses are listening,” tweeted Eric Estepp on X. Kevin Harvick is in the broadcast booth for FOX for the Cup Series race this Sunday. While the stage cautions ultimately affect his broadcaster, it seems like Harvick himself does not like stretching out the length of the same.
Back at Martinsville, when frustrations reached their boiling point, NASCAR tried to calm down the furious fans by explaining why the stage cautions are necessary. “They have partners and sponsorships as well that they have to please,” said Cup Series managing director Brad Moran.
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Due to the fact that broadcasters need to claim a separate window for displaying advertisements, stage cautions are a necessary evil.
Harvick calling out length of stage cautions, hopefully his bosses are listening
— Eric Estepp (@EricEstepp17) April 19, 2026
The catch is, broadcasters like FOX can basically force NASCAR to increase the length of cautions according to their wishes in case they feel like they did not get enough screen time for the advertisements of the sponsors and partners.
The ads are the same reason why sometimes the caution is thrown for much longer than expected. For example, at Martinsville, when the grid was bunched up for multiple laps, it effectively bored the fans. Hence, today’s reaction from Kevin Harvick is deeply connected to the fans, who have been saying the same thing over and over to NASCAR.
NASCAR fans rally behind Kevin Harvick against stage cautions
The fans were already frustrated owing to the lack of action during the race. So it was no wonder that as soon as Kevin Harvick muttered the words about the caution being thrown for too long, they jumped in like angry wolves.
“Just imagine those race fans sitting out there in those hard metal stands with their b*** asleep and their heads hurting to watch a c*** fest as this has been. I can just turn the channel and pull it to bed. Worst race this year. NASCAR running all the stage break cautions.”
Another fan suggested that NASCAR does not really care about what the fans think. Instead, they go on to add cautions without giving a dime about the boredom spreading among the audience. They suggested that for the race to complete its stipulated duration, maybe the stage cautions should not be counted as a part of the race.
“They don’t give a rats a** it’s unfortunate because the best thing would be no stages. If it won’t do that, then stage caution laps shouldn’t count.” Those sentiments were echoed by another fan who called out the fact that they spent 9 laps watching the cars waste time under caution.
“They were talking with Larry about the stage splits, and I’m like, we just ran 9 of 85 laps under caution, so none of this conversation even matters at this point. Ridiculous.”
Meanwhile, the commenters also connected it to the general frustration of the viewers, ultimately blaming stage cautions for the lack of numbers during NASCAR races. “You know it’s bad when even the commentators complain 4 laps before they even open pit road; it’s unacceptable. Open it the 2nd time by.”
“And they wonder why viewership is down.”
Either way, it is diabolical that the commentator from the broadcast booth is calling out something for which their broadcasters themselves are responsible. It seems like Harvick finally understood the plight of the fans, even though he might be unaware of what’s going on behind the scenes at FOX.
Written by
Edited by
Suyashdeep Sason