DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Dale Earnhardt Jr. watches the action from the garage prior to practice for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 on February 14, 2025 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 14 NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon25021410544300
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Dale Earnhardt Jr. watches the action from the garage prior to practice for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 on February 14, 2025 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 14 NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon25021410544300
Dale Earnhardt Jr’s JR Motorsports driver Carson Kvapil won his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday in his 64th race start. However, his maiden victory was soon overshadowed by the backlash he received for his post-race celebration.
After crossing the finish line, the 23-year-old was reminded by NASCAR not to do any burnouts on the exposed bricks, but it appeared the message never got conveyed.
His burnouts left tire skid marks on the yard of bricks, which is frowned upon. In a video posted by NASCAR reporter Angela Moryan on her X account, the IMS crew can be seen scrubbing the bricks with brushes.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 13: Carson Kvapil 1 JR Motorsports Bass Pro Shops/Clarience Tech Chevrolet enters the tri-oval during practice for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA O Reilly Auto Parts Series United Rentals 300 on February 13, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach,FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 13 NASCAR OÕReilly Auto Parts Series United Rentals 300 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602132682300
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 13: Carson Kvapil 1 JR Motorsports Bass Pro Shops/Clarience Tech Chevrolet enters the tri-oval during practice for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA O Reilly Auto Parts Series United Rentals 300 on February 13, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach,FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 13 NASCAR OÕReilly Auto Parts Series United Rentals 300 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602132682300
The track, founded in 1909, has been a host to IndyCar’s Indy 500 race for 110 runnings of the race. The IMS hosts over 300,000 spectators on race day and hence, the event, and the fabled 2.5-mile oval, has been hailed as sacred by IndyCar fans for years.
During a post-race interview, Carson Kvapil addressed the controversy, claiming he was unplugged from his radio communications by the time the communication arrived.
"I had no idea if they said anything or not," he said (via IndyStar). "I mean, (I) made a little bit of a mistake there probably."
However, IndyCar fans in the comments did not take the post-race celebration well.
IndyCar fans express their disapproval of Dale Jr’s JRM drivers' burnout at Indianapolis
Under the video posted by Angela Moryan on her X account, many fans took to the comment section of the post to express their disapproval of Carson Kvapil’s celebration.
One frustrated fan summed up the mood bluntly as they commented,
"Nascar can leave and never come back."
One fan criticized Kvapil’s celebration and joked that he should grab a brush and clean the yard of bricks. They wrote,
"Thanks Carson. Grab a toothbrush kid."
NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck reminded the drivers to respect the long-standing tradition of not doing burnouts on the brickyard.
"Remember, friends….no burnouts on the bricks."
A fan expressed frustration over what they viewed as a lack of respect for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They wrote,
"Just b*******!!! Tired of how they treat the best race track in the world."
Another fan pointed out NASCAR’s policy of charging a driver for burnouts on the Daytona infield grass. They commented,
"The edgelords saying what Carson did was cool could use a reminder that Daytona reserves the right to charge someone up to a quarter million for the sacrilege of damaging their tri-oval grass."
One also defended Kvapil’s victory burnout from those critics who made it seem like he had committed an offence far more serious.
"Kvapil is a kid who made a mistake in the biggest moment of his career to date. People hating on him are crazy. The brickyard is the most hallowed ground in all of motorsports. People hating on them cleaning the bricks are also crazy."
What did you think about Carson Kvapil’s accidental burnout? Let us know in the comments.
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Written by
Chionia Libania Colaco
Edited by
Yash Kotak