Darrell Waltrip unveils NASCAR’s hidden message for the All-Star Race

Former Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip has shared his thoughts on the upcoming All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The exhibition race, running since 1985, has been seen as one of the most exciting races of the season, as it carries with it a million-dollar cash prize.

Ahead of this year’s All-Star Race, NASCAR introduced a new “promoter’s caution” to spice up the action. Unlike traditional cautions for on-track incidents, this planned yellow flag can be used strategically to bunch up the field and create more intense restarts.

Officials can deploy caution at any point before lap 200 of the 250-lap race, regardless of incidents. NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip noted that while this move once caused uncertainty, the sanctioning body has now explained that the caution will be used without exception.

"Ever since I was a kid, when they say promoter, I always thought of Humpy Wheeler, and all of the craziness he would come up with at Charlotte Motor Speedway. And there's always been such an item that is the Promoter's Caution, we know that," Waltrip explained (via Racing America).

"I think NASCAR has said to the teams, 'We're going to do this, and now you know.' Whereas the teams would think sometimes, 'what was that caution for?'" Darrell Waltrip added.

North Wilkesboro Speedway is one of several short tracks featured on the NASCAR schedule. Since the introduction of the NextGen car, racing at short tracks has seen a noticeable dip in quality and competitiveness. This decline may have prompted NASCAR to introduce the promoter’s caution to injecting excitement into a race that might otherwise lack action.

The All-Star Race will take place following two more regular-season events, the Texas Motor Speedway, followed by the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Fans can catch all the action from the iconic North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina on May 18 at 8:00 PM ET

When Darrell Waltrip reflected on the debate over his iconic 'boogity' call

Darrell Waltrip's success in NASCAR started as a driver, clinching 97 race wins across the Cup and Xfinity Series, of which 84 were secured in the premier division. In his career spanning over 29 years, the Kentucky native claimed three Cup championships, including multiple wins at crown jewel events such as the Daytona 500 and the Coke 600.

However, after retiring before the 2001 NASCAR season, Waltrip transitioned to a full-time commentator role with FOX Sports, where his iconic Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Let's Go Racing call got him back into the limelight.

In a 2019 interview with NASCAR, Darrell Waltrip revealed how his iconic race call came to fruition.

"I’ll never forget, and the song, ‘The Streak,’ came on. ‘Here they come, boogity, boogity. There they go, boogity, boogity.’ I said, ‘That’s it, that’s it.’ Of course, I added one — ‘Boogity, boogity, boogity. Let’s go racin’, boys,’ and it stuck." Waltrip explained

Here's a look at the former champion's final Boogity race call in 2019 at Sonoma.

Meanwhile, the Cup Series will return with its action to Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 4.