After suffering a race disqualification that saw them lose a victory earlier this month, a NASCAR team has hit back at the series in a fiery official statement.
The race in question happened ahead of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, with Parker Kilgerman having been the driver to cross the line first in the Truck Series that week.
However, after the race, Kilgerman was disqualified from the event, with NASCAR announcing that his car had broken the rules and failed an inspection regarding ride heights.
Kilgerman and his team appealed this verdict, but it was then announced by NASCAR that their original decision had been upheld and the disqualification appeal dismissed.
Parker Kilgerman was disqualified from the Truck Series race at Daytona
NASCAR team hit back after disqualification
Now, in the latest development on the matter, Henderson Motorsports have released a fiery statement on their social media channels.
Speaking in the statement is their crew chief, Chris Carrier, who has not minced his words.
"First, I want to express how incredibly proud I am of this entire team. From the crew back in Abingdon who worked tirelessly to prepare this truck, to our road crew, pit crew, and spotter, to Parker for driving it to victory—I’m proud of every single person who played a role in this win," the statement began.
"I also want to recognize our owners, their families, and everyone at Food Country who supports us. I’m proud to represent this team and everything we’ve accomplished together.
"Everyone delivered an outstanding performance throughout the process of preparing and racing this truck, exceeding all of my expectations. In our minds, we won this race—fair and square. There were no illegal parts, and we never stepped outside the rules. No matter what, we take pride and joy in what we achieved."
A Statement from Our Crew Chief, Chris Carrier, Regarding Our Disqualification from Daytona. pic.twitter.com/WZFmKe88VI
The statement continued, with Carrier revealing that he feels there has been an injustice.
"We believe the post-race failure resulted from a misunderstanding between two NASCAR inspectors and our team, which led our road crew to follow incorrect instructions on the height sticks process," the statement continued.
"There was no malicious intent; however, we firmly believe our truck was not measured correctly and was not held to the same post-race inspection procedures as the other trucks. Due to this miscommunication, our front end measured an inch higher than necessary to clear heights, which in turn lowered our rear end below its minimum clearance—resulting in the disqualification.
"Had our truck been inspected the same way as everyone else’s, it would have passed."
The statement concludes: "We believe NASCAR missed an opportunity to build confidence with its teams and fans by not overturning this ruling, especially given the clear miscommunication and inconsistent post-race inspection practices surrounding our truck.
"To our fans—your support means everything to us. While we can’t change the record book, this will always be considered a win in our book, and nothing can change our mind about that. Thank you all so much for standing behind us."