Nascar News

The Most CONTROVERSIAL NASCAR Race At Texas

Visit the New Merch Store Here:

NASCAR overall has not been good at staying out of controversies through its history, both in the modern day and overall. The same can be said for the Texas Motor Speedway and its tenure in the NASCAR Cup Series. In April of 2013 these two forces had one of their largest controversies of the 2010s with the 2013 NRA 500. The race was a centerpiece in a social and political fight between the most partisan of Americans at the time. This race also had a forgotten tragedy involved in it as well when it came to one of the infield fans. This is the most controversial NASCAR race at Texas.

Video Credits:
ABC News
ABC Sports
A&E
CBS News
CBS Sports
Chris Zabriskie
CNN
CriticalFireant
Duck Dynasty
ESPN
FOX Sports
Michael McIntyre
Motorsports on NBC
NASCAR
NASCAR on FOX
NASCAR Productions
NascarAllOut
NBC Sports
NRA
pwinger22
RaceFansOnlyTV
Skewcar
theNASCARprofessor
YouTube Audio Library

Thumbnail Credits:
Getty Images
NASCAR Images

Outro Song:
Strange Animal (Crowder Remix) by Gowan

Music Credits:
Unfoldment, Revealment, Evolution, Exposition, Integration by Chris Zabriskie on the YouTube Audio Library

Related posts

Back-to-back: Byron reacts to winning second race in a row

klengel

Should NASCAR Add More Cookie Cutters?

klengel

NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series returns to ‘Sin City’ | Extended Highlights

klengel

47 comments

The Iceberg September 21, 2023 at 11:21 pm

What are the most controversial NASCAR races you remember?

Reply
JGR4LIFE September 21, 2023 at 11:27 pm

2008 Brickyard 400

Reply
Twister September 21, 2023 at 11:28 pm

2022 All Star Race

Reply
CutlassFire2722 September 21, 2023 at 11:29 pm

Talladega 2008….when they screwed Regan Smith and DEI out of a win.

Reply
StewieGriffinFanProductions1999 September 21, 2023 at 11:29 pm

2020 Talladega Fall.

Reply
JohnHunterNemechekFan September 21, 2023 at 11:30 pm

I’d say 2022 all star race, which was at Texas

Reply
Austin Emms September 21, 2023 at 11:30 pm

It’s so frustrating because this week was also very historic for Kyle Busch. He won the pole, led the most laps, set a new track record and swept the weekend. Such a shame.

Reply
RACINGUS95 September 22, 2023 at 12:00 am

Pure perfection

Reply
Fox ninja gaming September 22, 2023 at 2:46 am

Did he win I was not here

Reply
Fox ninja gaming September 22, 2023 at 12:54 pm

Ye

Reply
Drsamw Pepper September 21, 2023 at 11:33 pm

If there was a Dark Side of Racing tv series like Dark Side of the ring,the 2013 NRA 500 would easily be a great episode.

Reply
Luke Lyall September 22, 2023 at 12:34 am

Also all of those races where somebody crashed but instead of dying cause of the crash, died due to heart attack, stroke, etc

Reply
Chris Guardiano September 22, 2023 at 6:00 am

Along with episodes about the Firestone Firehawk 600 (which was CART’s failed attempt to race at Texas), everything surrounding the 2011 Las Vegas Indycar event (in which Dan Wheldon was killed) & absolute farce that was the 2005 US GP at Indy for F1

Reply
IanPerez2000 September 21, 2023 at 11:34 pm

I remember covering the self-gunshot wound story and the sponsor story on my series. The behind the scenes before and during the race was a mess.

I’ll never forget finding out the self-gunshot wound story years (when I was in high school, basically like a couple of years after the story) before I covered the stories.

Reply
Robert Stone September 22, 2023 at 12:19 am

The racing thare is that bad.

Reply
Noah Coleman September 21, 2023 at 11:35 pm

“I think it was Darrell Waltrip Jr.”

(sigh)

Reply
Drsamw Pepper September 21, 2023 at 11:43 pm

Not as bad as many others tbf but yeah lmao.

Reply
SiltStridersFTW September 22, 2023 at 6:03 am

A reason that news media needs to do quick research on the sport before talking about it. When I heard that, I just groaned

Reply
IShowMeat September 21, 2023 at 11:36 pm

It’s honestly so sad how a man at a NASCAR race, something that brings joy in a fan, ended up shooting himself at this exact race…
As someone who has had depression for years, and was even suicidal at one point, it breaks my heart to see people die to such an awful thing.
If you, or a loved one are suicidal, this race is a reminder… You are not alone.

Reply
Robert Stone September 22, 2023 at 12:18 am

The racing thare is that bad

Reply
IShowMeat September 22, 2023 at 12:23 am

@Robert Stone Dude…

Reply
KJ Productions September 22, 2023 at 4:10 am

​@IShowMeat, thank u for saying this. I have chronic depression. It happened from June to November 2022. It reappeared in January, the majority of March and April, mid-July, 4 days in August, Sept. 3rd, 8th, 9th, and yesterday. It is very hard to deal with. I sometimes have suicidal thoughts, but I think about my friends and family to help me not act upon them

Reply
Avery Alford September 21, 2023 at 11:40 pm

You forgot to include the Brad Keslowski post race interview with Bob Pokrass.

Reply
wegnerracer2 September 22, 2023 at 1:21 am

wha happun?

Reply
John Vandeventer September 21, 2023 at 11:43 pm

And I thought the tire controversies last year, and the caution controversy last year were bad…

Reply
Sammy Campbell September 22, 2023 at 5:09 am

There was a race later in 2013 where the SkyCamera cable snapped midrace too….

Reply
Nathan1Sixteen September 22, 2023 at 12:06 am

I think this is called a “nontroversy”. It was only a controversy in the media, but breaking news, most NASCAR fans are pretty pro gun

Reply
Luke Lyall September 22, 2023 at 12:36 am

Not all. After nascar became open to diversity they have new non stereotypical fans

Reply
Nathan1Sixteen September 22, 2023 at 12:40 am

@Luke Lyall I didn’t say all, I said most. Guess what, despite the push for diversity, most NASCAR fans are still from a very pro gun walk of life. Not all, but most. Gas guzzling V8s and firearms kinda go hand in hand

Reply
Casey smith September 22, 2023 at 12:43 am

Yes, but tact needed to be used, was not in this case due to the specific Shooting being the then 2nd worst ever.

Reply
Luke Lyall September 22, 2023 at 12:44 am

@Nathan1Sixteen I’m not a conservative. I’m middle to left. But I like guns. I just hate the fact that guns & a book with no evidence is valued over human life

Reply
JackLikesTrackhouse September 22, 2023 at 1:31 am

I’m from Canada and thankfully nobody in my family has had to deal with gun violence of any kind, but considering the climate surrounding NASCAR it’s no wonder most fans are pro gun. I try not to have any political allegiances, but how many times do you hear about school shootings in the US every year? How many times is America gonna keep letting the same thing happen over and over and over again?

Reply
Boiler Coasters September 22, 2023 at 12:11 am

I was 12 when this race happened, and I didn’t know much about the political situation behind this race. The only thing I remember from this race was that Jeff Gordon (my favorite driver at the time) retired from the race early due to a weird suspension issue

Reply
SiVlog September 22, 2023 at 12:19 am

In terms of controversy around a NASCAR race, to me, nothing will top the inaugural race at Talladega, the 1969 Talladega 500. Having watched S1apsh0es video about it, I’m sure we all know what happened. But the disastrous combination of a track that had been rushed to be completed, Bill France Senior using his financial situation to dig his heels in, tyres from Firestone and Goodyear that couldn’t handle the loads, a driver walkout, on the hoof rule changes by Bill France Senior, replacement cars from the preliminary race (that were nowhere near as fast as the Cup Cars), 3 Cup drivers (only 1 of which was a familiar name) and if all that wasn’t bad enough, a scoring error, means that this takes the cake for most controversial race in NASCAR I feel

Reply
WB3 September 22, 2023 at 5:13 am

Settle down… its not a competition between the race you mentioned and this race the video is about. The title does say “at Texas”, it doesn’t say “at Talladega” or “all time”.

Reply
SiVlog September 22, 2023 at 8:25 am

​@WB3I’m not saying it was, I was responding to what was said at 9:05

Reply
jd zap September 22, 2023 at 12:24 am

This was my first cup race, that I watched in person. I enjoyed it for the most part. I think gordon had a wheel hub break. That was a gut punch disappointment. But enjoyed it.

Reply
Scratching Symbols September 22, 2023 at 12:42 am

Shout out to Darrell Waltrip Jr. That man was a legend lmao

Reply
RACINGUS95 September 22, 2023 at 12:47 am

Should’ve been a cup series champion if it weren’t for his team forgetting to bring an engine to Atlanta

Reply
NASCARFAN93100 September 22, 2023 at 1:59 am

Fun Fact: Both Team Penske cars barely made to the start of this event due to failing pre race inspection after being busted for illegal rear end housing parts which were confiscated

Reply
Radien Mayakovsky September 22, 2023 at 3:15 pm

Which ended up with Paul Wolfe received a Crying Towel from Jimmy Spencer during One of NASCAR Race Hub Segments with Mr. Excitement

Reply
NRF Productions September 22, 2023 at 2:38 am

All I remembered from this race was that this was the one race in early 2013 that Jeff Gordon was relevant. Ran in the top 5 for most of the first 300 laps before he had an issue that caused him to DNF out of the race.

Reply
DC322 September 22, 2023 at 3:34 am

That was the most tip toed, controversial event due to the title sponsor in the heart of Texas. Polarization 500 that weekend.

Reply
Adam the first Human September 22, 2023 at 4:27 am

This race is the first ever NASCAR race I saw on tv. It’s why Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon are my favorite drivers. I’m currently watching it on NASCAR classics.

Reply
Name September 22, 2023 at 4:48 am

Hey I was finally at a meaningful iceberg video! This was my 3rd cup race at texas and I had a blast. This was when the speed and horsepower was really there.

Reply
MaverickTheRambler September 22, 2023 at 7:21 am

I think the 2020 Real Heroes 400 at Darlington is a controversial race. The 1st race after the Covid lockdown. So many people were saying it was too soon, it’s non essential, it would increase hospitalizations, etc.

Reply
Hunter Dobson September 22, 2023 at 4:16 pm

Tbh, I don’t remember any controversy from this race lol
I do remember the man taking his life though and that was heartbreaking… I actually saw a person pass away in the TMS grandstands a year or 2 before during the Nationwide race.

Reply

Leave a Comment