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DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 04: Justin Haley, driver of the #11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway on September 04, 2021 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 04: Justin Haley, driver of the #11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway on September 04, 2021 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
In any form of motorsport, adverse weather conditions are always the bane of existence. Even if some drivers are, or claim to be wet weather specialists, sudden showers will catch anyone off guard. Earlier at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway, this very situation unfolded. Suffice to say, Kaulig Racing driver Justin Haley was not a happy camper.
"WHAT THE F*CK WAS THAT?! IT WAS F*CKING POURING! F*CK ALL OF YOU!" – Justin Haley #NASCAR #CokeZeroSugar400
— Noah Lewis (NASCAR) (@Noah_Lewis1) August 28, 2022
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He raged on the radio, “What the f*** was that?! It was f***ing pouring! F*** all of you!”. His fury was largely because there was a sudden rain shower during the race, and it caught many drivers by surprise. It also didn’t help that NASCAR officials were a little slow in responding and throwing the caution flag.
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What happened that made Justin Haley so mad?
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As mentioned before, the rain came very suddenly, and it occurred with 21 laps remaining. Haley and many other drivers believed that the officials mishandled the situation. According to Chris Buescher, it was raining at Turn 1 and that triggered the Big One, as drivers lost control and wrecked. Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks said the wreck cost nearly $4 million in damage.
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RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 11: Justin Haley (77) Shavelogic Chevrolet looks on during driver introductions prior to the Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race on September 11, 2021, at the Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, VA. (Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Haley also said, “We tore up a lot of race cars, so that was pretty unacceptable. I don’t get it. My spotter said it was raining, it was sprinkling on my windshield for a good bit. We literally all lost traction. Like, the tires did not meet the road anymore. It was wet. When we’re running 200 [mph] we can’t do that.”
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Interestingly, Kyle Busch had a different take on the matter. He observed that there was no rain during the previous lap at the Daytona International Speedway. In his eyes, the heavens opened right before the wreck, so every driver just became sitting ducks. This is why he firmly believed that the rain happened “way too late” to call a caution.
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