NASCAR fans got a good dose of race manipulation tactics last year during the crucial playoff race at Martinsville Speedway. But, going by the drama that unfolded at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, it looks like teams do not shy away from resorting to such tactics. It was the Paul Miller BMW team that caused all the ruckus while competing in the GTD-Pro class at Daytona International Speedway.

Tommy Milner was on the receiving end of the BMW team tactics that saw him relinquish his lead. What followed next was an outburst of emotion and unfriendly gestures that are now doing rounds on social media. So what caused this altercation, and what did Milner have to say about it? Let us find out.

Tommy Milner calls out unsportsmanlike conduct by the BMW drivers

With less than three hours to go in the Rolex 24, Milner was in control of the GTD pro class, driving his No. 4 Corvette. He was being chased by Connor De Phillippi in the BMW, but it was the other BMW car in front of him that proved to be the real troublemaker for him. Augusto Farfus was the driver who was trying to impede Milner’s run that could’ve led to victory lane celebrations.

Reflecting on a blatant attempt to foil his chances for a win, Milner said this in an interview. “It’s a shame that that’s how they want to race. They’ve kind of set the standard for the rest of the race, what can send you to drive as we have been, which is with respect. But if they want to continue to race like that, I don’t think IMSA’s going to take too kindly to this… I can’t change anything now; obviously, it is what it is. I had a lot of respect for Augusto in the past; I’ve lost a lot today, unfortunately.”

Farfus was several laps down and had no direct competition with the #4 car. But it looked like he did his best in trying to foil #Corevette’s run so that the fellow BMW car could cut the distance and challenge for the race lead. Farfus intentionally brake-checked Milner, and Race Control quickly jumped into action and issued a drive-through penalty. But, before the BMW driver headed to the pits, he forced Milner into a tight spot on the horseshoe section of the racetrack. Milner, in a desperate attempt not to hit his car, slowed down, but in the process was caught by De Phillipi’s car.

This incident tore a piece of the bumper cover on the No. 4 Corvette’s rear end. But as Farfus was heading into the pits, Milner made sure he made his feelings clear to his rival and showed a middle finger to him by opening the window on his race car. Milner’s team did their best to put the bumper cover back on with the magic tape during the fueling window. But as soon as he returned to race in second place, the bodywork peeled off back again. Race control issued him a black flag, and he was forced back into the pits.

Despite being on the receiving end of dirty tactics, Tommy Milner stated that they will race the #1 BMW car fairly. A caution flag did come to Milner’s team’s rescue as they had enough time to head back on the racetrack and contest for the win with less than an hour remaining in the race.

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Team Corvette won’t play dirty like the BMW

The race will be going green with Paul Miller Racing’s No. 1 BMW leading the GTD Pro class. Now any NASCAR fan watching this event would almost know what the next course of action by the Corvette team should be. Well, a good old-fashioned bump and run or even fender-bending tactics would be some of the options a NASCAR driver or team would consider. But the Corvette team won’t resort to such tactics and will race cleanly in the hopes of regaining their advantage.

“The #1 car we race with respect for sure is the one in the race; that’s how it should be. The #48 car should be pulled from the race, realistically. It shouldn’t be allowed to happen; you can’t wait for a guy in the racetrack, you can’t slow them down to let your teammate go by, you can’t block, and you can’t brake check. Everything you could possibly think of, he did it to try to keep me behind.” Milner added in the interview.

Agusto and Milner have raced together in the past and had a good bond. But, after today’s incident, Milner isn’t sure if he would be on talking terms with his fellow rival.