When it comes to NASCAR rules and regulations, controversy often looms around the corner. However, what happens when one of the sport's biggest teams is the center of it all? Rick Hendrick’s Hendrick Motorsports found itself in the midst of one such controversy after the O’Reilly race at San Diego on Saturday.

The incident came about during the United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 when HMS driver Corey Day drove over a manhole cover that damaged his radiator. This dug a huge hole through the radiator of his No. 17 car, but he managed to make his way to the pit lane. 

This is where the controversy begins, as NASCAR allowed the No. 17 HMS team to work on the car under a red flag. On any other weekend, this would not be permitted. However, Day managed to get back on track after taking a new radiator.

This caused a lot of buzz over on social media, with The Athletic's Jeff Gluck posting about the incident and recalling a similar incident from 2004 at Martinsville.

"My entire history of covering NASCAR, I've remembered a decision at the 2004 Martinsville race when the track came apart and Jeff Gordon's car was damaged by the concrete. It was only my third race and I got up the nerve to ask a question in the postrace press conference regarding whether Gordon should get his spot back. I was told by a driver that was a stupid question."

Feeling vindicated after the Corey Day incident, Gluck added:

"Here we are all these years later and Corey Day is magically getting his four laps back after his car was damaged by the track. I know I'm an old fart and there's no such thing as precedent from 22 years ago, but this is breaking my brain. Maybe it wasn't a stupid question after all."

Under the red flag period, NASCAR checked every manhole cover on the track and welded nearly every single one of the covers. But the rule bend for Day led to a lot of chatter among the fans. 

NASCAR fans weigh in on NASCAR bending the rules for Hendrick Motorsports

Many fans flooded Jeff Gluck’s aforementioned post with their take on the situation. One fan commented, writing:

"The decision made today should be a one off and never done again. I agree that it could result in a can of worms being opened."

While another fan complained how NASCAR only broke the rules because it was an HMS car, as they wrote:

"NASCAR letting every rule be broken because it’s an HMS car."

Fellow NASCAR reporter Toby Christie agreed with Gluck as he wrote:

"I feel like we just opened a can of worms with today's decision. How heavy of an object does it have to be for a driver to get their laps back now? What about if it's a piece of ballast from another car? What if it's a piece of debris on a grille like Crews just had? Where's the line?" 

A fan wrote about how deciding on the fly is not something out of the blue for the sport. They wrote:

"Toby & Jeff, I have been watching NASCAR since the late '60's, & when the track comes apart they have made decisions on the fly to help drivers in race. Seen it multiple times over the years."

Along similar lines, a fan recalled a race penalty involving Dale Sr. They wrote:

"I'm apparently an older fart than you. I remember 1995 at Rockingham when they put the race under yellow to give Dale Earnhardt his lap back after he was mistakenly penalized for a loose lug nut."

Do you agree with NASCAR’s decision? Let us know in the comments.  

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak