From NASCAR to IMSA to good dirt track races, this weekend has seen tons of great action on the track – but some of it was … a bit strange. So let’s take a look at some of the strangest things happening in the racing world this weekend, shall we?
Lamborghini Huracan’s Wi-Fi hotspot is breaking the rules
Here’s one that really left me scratching my head. After qualifying for IMSA’s 12 Hours of Sebring event, the No. 19 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo was punishedWhile it should have started on pole, the GTD machine was relegated to the back of the grid instead.
Why? It had a wifi hotspot.
If you’re wondering what a hotspot has to do with racing, it violates IMSA rules because it qualifies as a piece of telemetry, which is not allowed in the series. The No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R was promoted to pole position.
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Noah Gragson backs up in the car on Pit Road
Here’s another head scratcher that got the whole internet in its arms. During a pit cycle in During the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, No. 9 driver Noah Gragson arrived at his pit box to discover Daniel Hemric was No. 18 parked too high in the box. Hemric then reversed Gragson drove into his own pit from a strange angle.
And then he backed up and nearly hit Hemric’s crew.
Basically, Hemric drove too far into Gragson’s pit box during the stop and then backed into his own box. Gragson responded by backing up in Hemric’s car. Hemric explained it like this:
He (Gragson) had no idea what was going on at the track, ”he said. We are coming down the pit lane and the guy who came after us as you accelerated when I pulled into my bin and it made me send around the guy going to the 9’s (Gragson) bin. I backed up and yes it ruined both of our pit stops. I was backing up and he decided to put it in reverse and stuff it in the front right fender and punch a hole in the nose of our Poppy Bank Toyota Supra. We had to re-pit and fix it. That was completely deliberate and absolutely ridiculous. Where I’m from, that’s what you get beaten for. “
Gragson responded after the race by saying: “I don’t know why he’s angry. I mean I was behind him when he got into the pit cause we had our right front tire fastened, and he was in our pit box. I had to get around him and not really be sure why he is there. I had to backup to get there.
“II’d be upset if I was in his shoes too, just based on what he’s done in his career. It is what it is. We move on and keep fighting. “
There was, of course, a scuffle after the race that ended without contact being made after the pit crew pulled everyone apart. Gragson later posted this video to his Twitter account:
A lot of people are angry that this has become a disturbing part of Gragson’s identity as a driver: he can be a little hot-headed and aggressive in a way that other drivers in danger. Others people are angry that everyone is upset because they itch at a driver who flouts PR caution.
Be that as it may, NASCAR is reviewing the incident and will issue a decision later in the week.
TimothyBuret is going to roll
There were more than a handful of accidents in the 12 Hours of Sebring yesterday, but one of the most brutal was that of LMP2 driver Timothé Buret. Sebring is a notoriously difficult track largely because it’s a hot, bumpy mess, and Buret seemed to wobble over the bumps in Turn 1 as he came around the corner. He lost control and plowed straight into the tire barriers before rolling over completely.
More Twitter drama ensued as users argued about whether or not to ‘respect the bumps’ or ‘Sebring repave,’ but either way, Buret and the number 8 team were completely out of the running. They were running second in class at the time of the accident, but luckily Buret walked away well.
Swindell And roomman in Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals
Sammy Swindell and Justin Zimmerman had a huge moment at the 48th annual Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals, one of the highlight weekends of the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series. The two drivers connected and took off with a series of somersaults. Both drivers walked out, but as you can imagine, no one was happy.
“We had a car destroyed by a child,” Swindell said. ‘I don’t know what these kids are thinking about. All you have to do is buy a pit pass to drive. You do not need to qualify. You do not have to do anything. You just show up with money and you walk over shit. “