Yes, Overreaction Monday is being released on Tuesday. Due to travel from Charlotte, the exaggerated headlines took a day to be released. However, Tuesday is as good of a day to react to everything that happened this past weekend in Charlotte. What started out as an ideal weekend turned into a vengeful Mother Nature. Solid showings for the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series led to a disappointing end to the Coca-Cola 600. Well, more so the Coca-Cola 373.5. Lightning and rain interrupted the marquee race in the middle of Stage 3. Unfortunately, NASCAR did not believe they could get the race restarted at a reasonable time. Now that fans have had a day to resolve their frustrations, time to see if the anger is still there with this week’s Overreaction Monday for Charlotte.
NASCAR Hates Their Fans
Hate is such a strong word. However, that feeling definitely was there for the tens of thousands of fans who waited out the lightning and rain for the Coca-Cola 600 to restart. Things were looking good too. Jet dryers were on track, the track video board start playing NASCAR clips, and reporters on social media indicated that NASCAR was going to get the race rolling again. Then, around 11:30 PM, PRN comes over the loud speakers and announces that the race is over, Christopher Bell is the winner, and everyone can go home now. Where did that come from?
While some may argue that NASCAR actively hates their fanbase, that feels like an extreme argument. However, what cannot be denied is that NASCAR has a communication issue. Granted, there would have been plenty of fans who booed the decision no matter how NASCAR handled it. However, the pure vigor in the vitriol from the grandstands had to do with how shocking the announcement was. At that point, fans had waited 2 hours for the race to resume. Based on all available information, the Coca-Cola 600 was going to resume in the near future. Since NASCAR did not warn fans of the potential decision, the anger from the grandstands feels justified.
Communication is Key
This is not to say that NASCAR should have finished the race. Based on reporting, the track was not drying quick enough for the race to resume prior to 12:30 AM. With 151 laps left to run, that would likely have been at least another 2 hours of racing. NASCAR does not want to run a race at 2 or 3 AM again. However, the issue is that NASCAR once again failed to communicate the process to fans. How difficult would it have been to announce over the PA system at 11:00 PM that track drying was ongoing, they are doing everything they can to ensure the race goes the distance, but the track is not drying as expected and it is concerning. At 11:00 PM, NASCAR knew there was a potential issue. If they let fans know about said issue, then the backlash would not have been as fierce.
The most damning part about this fiasco is that NASCAR had a perfect template laid out by IndyCar earlier in the day. IndyCar communicated their plans with the general public beautifully. President of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Doug Boles talked to the media periodically throughout the morning to keep everyone in the loop. There were constant updates and IndyCar/the speedway ensured that fans knew about changes. Meanwhile, NASCAR pulls the rug out from everyone and bolts for the door.
IndyCar > NASCAR
As a wicked octopus lady once said, life is full of tough choices. Kyle Larson was met with one on Sunday. With the rain pushing back the start time of the Indy 500 until after 4 PM, there would be no way for Kyle Larson to run the double in full. He would have to choose. Either stay in Indianapolis to run the Indy 500 (then scurry down to the Coca-Cola 600) or leave Indianapolis to race in the series where he is a fulltime driver. Despite earlier in the Indy 500 process claiming that NASCAR would come first, Larson decided to bypass the start of the Coke 600 to drive in the Indy 500.
Two things can be true at once. On one hand, Kyle Larson attempting the Indy 500 has brought eyes to the NASCAR side of this double. The All-Star Race saw a boost in ratings due to IndyCar fans wanting to follow Larson in his journey. Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR surely has sold large swaths of Larson merchandise because of Larson’s foray into IndyCar. Larson staying to run the Indy 500 likely continues that boost for at least another week. However, the other hand states how (somewhat) insignificant NASCAR looks that their current points leader decides to skip one of their crown jewel events. Not only is he skipping the event, per the rulebook, Larson could be jeopardizing his chance at the championship.
Obviously, if Larson and Hendrick did not believe he would get a waiver, then Larson would have been in the 5 car by the start of Coca-Cola 600. Although the Indy 500 is a bucket list race for Larson battling for the championship in the Cup Series comes first. Still, it does not make NASCAR look very noteworthy. The driver who led the points heading into Sunday decides to skip the start of NASCAR’s second most notable event. Especially considering Kyle Larson signed a 2-year contract for his Indy 500 attempt(s), NASCAR played second fiddle to IndyCar with their top driver.
Austin Hill Villain Arc Continues
Saturday’s BetMGM 300 thoroughly entertained fans. With a healthy mix of Cup Series drivers in the Xfinity lineup, watching Xfinity Series regulars hold their own against the top guys was great to see. While Chase Elliott pulled out the win, the main topic of discussion from Saturday’s race was Austin Hill and Cole Custer. During the last portion of the race, Hill and Custer made contact coming off Turn 4 through the front stretch. That led to Hill colliding with Custer in Turns 1 and 2, pinning the 00 to the wall. The two stayed together into the backstretch until Hill decided to dump Custer to the inside wall. With that damage, Custer was unable to continue.
After the race, Hill took ownership for pieces of the incident. However, he ultimately decided to differ responsibility to aggressive racing. Custer saw it differently, understandable. This is starting to turn into a trend for Austin Hill. His on-track antics are starting to irritate his fellow drivers and the fans. Outside of his home state of Georgia, the response to Hill is starting to be mixed at best.
The handling of the Sheldon Creed situation after playoff Martinsville could be the turning point for Hill’s perception. The on-track incident was not the big issue. Rather, the way Hill handled it post-race. Frustration spilling over into the post-race interview is understandable. Revealing a current teammate’s plan for next season before he or his future team has made a formal announcement is taboo. It felt unnecessary and turned a situation from mixed to against Hill and Richard Childress Racing.
That has bled into this season, where that bad taste from Martinsville lingers every time Hill finds himself in a controversial situation. Rarely does Hill take ownership for the part he played in the incident. More often than not, Hill deflects or outright blames the other driver. Saturday was another example of this. Will this effect his future Cup Series aspirations? Probably not. However, Hill is slowly turning into what Ty Gibbs used to be for the Xfinity Series.
Pit Road Issues Headline NC Education Lottery 200
Without a doubt, neither of the two best trucks won the NC Education Lottery 200 on Friday night. Nick Sanchez won the race, which was momentous for his truck chief Chris Showalter. Showalter has been a part of every Truck Series race, with Friday night marking 700 for both the series and Showalter. However, Sanchez’s truck was a work in progress that benefitted from the track position at the end of the race. Meanwhile, the two best trucks were marred with pit road issues.
Corey Heim dominated Friday. He swept the stages and led 72 of the 134 laps. Even then, Heim might not have had the best long run truck in the field. Kaden Honeycutt looked to be the fastest truck when there were long green flag runs. On the stopwatch, Honeycutt either ranked first or second in lap times after 15 laps of a run. It was going to be exciting to see if a long green flag run would take place to end the race. Could Honeycutt surpass Heim? Would Heim be able to hang on?
Unfortunately, neither of those questions were answered. Heim’s crew suffered broken equipment during two different stops. During the Stage 2 break, Heim’s jack broke during the stop. On the last stop, the air gun for the rear tire changer failed as well. This shuffled Heim down the order a bit. Then, Heim was hit with a DQ for 3 loose lug nuts. Meanwhile, Honeycutt’s pit crew struggles were more mistake orientated. One stop saw Honeycutt take the gas can with him. His last stop was simply slow. Somehow, Honeycutt managed to come away with a Top-10.
Give Honeycutt a Fulltime Ride
Kaden Honeycutt is driving a partial schedule with Niece Motorsports in the 45 truck. So far, Honeycutt has 4 Top-10s in 5 starts with the team. His worst finish on the season is 12th at Bristol. Already, Honeycutt is outdriving Niece’s two fulltime drivers. While Matt Mills picked up his first Top-5 of the season, Bayley Currey is still struggling to finish inside the Top-10.
This is not to say that Honeycutt should replace Mills or Currey. However, Honeycutt’s early results indicate that he could be a playoff contender if given a fulltime ride. If the pit road issues do not arise, there is a chance that Honeycutt wins Friday’s race. Now, funding is a part of the silly season game. Does Kaden Honeycutt have enough financial backing to support a fulltime Truck Series effort? If he does, then there is little reason to keep him out of a fulltime truck next season. If not with Niece, then some other Truck Series team will surely sign him for the 2025 season.
