This was supposed to be a weekend of healing for the NASCAR community, but the disastrous weather has only added to the somber scene at the race track.
While the NASCAR Truck race was postponed three different times and has yet to start, NASCAR spent over six hours running the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday, and still had to end it with half the race left to run.
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Ross Chastain was declared the winner, and Richard Childress Racing cars finished second and third with Jesse Love and Austin Hill, respectively.
After a car dropped oil on the track, which sent several cars into the wall — including the leading Chastain, there was still 15 laps left in the second stage.
Rain and fog at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Rain and fog at Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR cleaned up the oil as the field circulated under yellow, but that’s when the rain started to come through the thickening fog. Instead of red-flagging the race, they continued to run under caution until the completion of Stage 2, and then immediately brought the field to pit road.
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Soon after, the race was over, and Love was extremely displeased with how it all played out.
Jesse Love takes aim at race control, talks bigger picture
Love was unimpressed with NASCAR Race Control specifically, believing they were merely running out the clock under caution so they could end the race. He also nosed ahead of Chastain at the end of the stage when crossing the line, which appeared to be an intentional statement.
“I’m mad, so I think it’s a complete joke, handling it how they handled it,” said Love. “I was really mad when they got out of the car for obvious reasons … Then I kind of realized, if this week has taught us anything, it’s that all this doesn’t matter as much as we think it does. There’s things way more important than a trophy. So, as much as I am angry and confused and upset, I also, again realize there’s a lot of hurt people right now. This week has taught us that there’s so many things so much bigger than racing. I think, as much as it hurts, we can find some okay-ness in knowing that.
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“I’m just feeling so hard for Brexton, and Lennix, and Samantha — the parents, and everybody at RCR. That’s where the hurt and the anger comes from, right? Wanting to win for those people. Having said all that, it doesn’t really matter, does it.”
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