Chevrolet has lost the plot! Hey, that’s what NASCAR fans are claiming after the company got mad at Parker Retzlaff for a seemingly silly reason. During the Coke Zero Sugar 400’s final lap at Daytona, Retzlaff was right behind Harrison Burton as he decided to push him on the final lap. Well, Kyle Busch was right in front of Burton, but Retzlaff pushing the latter led him to victory instead of Busch. That’s what Chevrolet is mad at!

Retzlaff was driving the No. 62 Chevrolet, whereas Busch was driving the No. 62 Chevrolet. Now the car manufacturer feels that Retzlaff assisted Burton win the race! However, the 21-year-old had reasons of his own.

Which driver does not want to win a race? Retzlaff definitely did! So, in an attempt to clear out the traffic in front of him, he decided to push the Ford. Kyle Busch, who was leading the race, fell short on speed as Burton had an assist during the last lap. Ultimately Burton won the race and Kyle Busch came second.

In retrospect, Retzlaff claimed he was only focused on making a name for himself and securing a strong finish for his sponsor, FunkAway, in what was only his second Cup Series start. “The end of the race is definitely not what we hoped for,” Retzlaff reflected after the race, acknowledging the controversy but standing by his decision to seize the moment.

While he insists he wasn’t out to sabotage Busch’s chances, the backlash came in like a wrecking ball. “I just wanted to put myself on the map and it was just a good opportunity for FunkAway and me,” he stated. This decision, made in the heat of the moment, has certainly stirred the pot and left Retzlaff grappling with the fallout.

[Trotta] Parker Retzlaff live On Track we asked about end of Daytona Cup race when he was lined up 4th in a Chevy and pushed Harrison in a Ford to the win while Busch was in a Chevy on the front row – Chevy is reportedly very upset w Parker – Parker says he won’t get into any consequences…
byu/LBHMS inNASCAR

Yes, at Superspeedway races like Daytona, the manufacturer is just as important as the teams. No doubt, we see Ford drivers stick together, Toyota drivers stay close and Chevrolet drivers push the line together. However, can we blame a rookie for Busch’s loss? Fans say no!

NASCAR enthusiasts did not like the fact that Chevrolet was reportedly unhappy with the driver. This did not settle well with fans, who just experienced a mind-blowing and intriguing race. They took to Reddit to share their thoughts on the matter.

Fans stand by Parker Retzlaff while Chevrolet scrutinizes him…

People were annoyed when they got to know that the manufacturer was mad at Retzlaff.

• “Freaking politics, man.”
• “If Chevy is truly mad at Parker Retzlaff for this situation, then they have officially lost the plot. In the words of the great Herm Edwards, ‘You play to win the game!’”

Regardless, the incident brought a lot of attention to Retzlaff’s sponsor and his small team, Beard Motorsports, which is supported by RCR. In fact, this was Beard Motorsports’s second top-ten finish this year. So all is not in vain. Yet fans did not like how Chevrolet was allegedly blaming Retzlaff.

“I’m a Chevy guy through and through, and I’m with you on this. Tired of seeing manufacturer bullsh-t playout at Daytona/Dega,” wrote another fan. However, something interesting took place during the race.

On The Teardown podcast, Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic revealed that Retzlaff’s team had told him over the radio to not push Burton to victory. Ultimately, the young driver decided to do what he thought was best for him and his sponsor.

“Wish NASCAR stepped in and put a stop to that sh-t about 10 years ago,” wrote another one.

Now, some reports suggest that the driver might face consequences behind closed doors. Nothing is known about that yet. If it turns out to be true, it might not sit well with NASCAR fans. After all, Retzlaff was just trying to win.

Finally, there’s also broader frustration with team and manufacturer dynamics. “I hate team/manufacturer orders. But you can’t really do anything about them because teams will just find creative ways to work around it.”

Where do you stand on Park Retzlaff’s performance at Daytona? Do you think he helped the Ford? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.