Drama in NASCAR never sleeps, and the 2025 season is nothing new. From Atlanta caution calls to Daytona post-race inspections, NASCAR officials have already had a lot of controversies in the first two races. However, the biggest heartbreak came from Daytona when NASCAR officials stripped Parker Kligerman of his victory. Just when Kligerman thought he had conquered Daytona, fate delivered a crushing blow.
After a post-race inspection, NASCAR ruled his No. 75 truck illegal citing the ridge height infringement and handed Corey Heim the victory. The decision didn’t go well with many, as Kligerman’s crew chief, Chris Carrier, accused NASCAR of unfair post-race inspection. “Had our truck been inspected the same way as everyone else’s, it would have passed,” he said in a statement. However, as more details emerged, Kligerman’s disqualification wasn’t just about a technical infraction.
A critical mistake by his team, combined with NASCAR’s poor communication, played a major role in the controversy. Now, two NASCAR insiders have finally admitted that the sanctioning body shares some responsibility for what happened. In the latest episode of The Hauler Talk podcast, NASCAR’s Mike Forde and Senior Director of Racing Communications Amanda Ellis acknowledged the mistake.
NASCAR learns from its Daytona mistake!
After NASCAR’s shocking verdict, Parker Kligerman and his team, Henderson Motorsports, filed an appeal to NASCAR. They claimed the No. 75 truck team used no illegal parts and urged a reversal of the decision. However, the appeal panel didn’t entertain their demand and upheld Corey Heim’s win. Disappointed with the decision, Kligerman’s crew chief, Chris Carrier, released a statement defending his team.
He claimed that the post-race failure resulted from a misunderstanding between two NASCAR inspectors and the team. The mistake caused the crew to follow incorrect instructions on the height measurement process. Now, days after the incident, NASCAR insider Mike Forde spoke about the issue. In the latest episode of The Hauler Talk, he accepted the communication failure.
“Chris was in the media center, so they didn’t have that leadership. Previously, what we did was verbalize to the team, ‘Here’s what you are allowed to do.’ The procedure is now going to be written out and handed to the team. So, we’re out of the verbal business. It’s all going to be in writing—just tightening up that area so that if a crew chief isn’t available because of health reasons, or whatever the reason is, they at least have this in writing,” Forde admitted.
His comments reflect that the lack of written rules led to miscommunication. The biggest takeaway is that NASCAR has understood the concern and is now moving away from verbal communication. However, Senior Director of Racing Communications Amanda Ellis slammed Henderson Motorsports’ crew chief for not being present during the post-race inspection. She revealed that truck crew chiefs are not required to visit the media center after the race, and Chris made a mistake.
“This was an incident where we did not require Chris [Carrier] to come into the media center, but it was my understanding that they wanted to come in. I’m not sure exactly how that transpired, but ultimately, he came in, answered the questions, and did the things that are involved in the media availability post-event. But ultimately, that’s not a requirement, and if at any point there was a conversation where he needed to leave that stage or go to tech, he would have been allowed to do so,” said Ellis.
Notably, smaller teams like Henderson Motorsports often operate with limited staff. When media duties pulled Carrier away, his team lacked a leader during the crucial tech process. Parker Kligerman also acknowledged the impact of such incidents on smaller teams like Henderson. “I will be requesting that NASCAR investigate that because it’s kind of crazy, especially on the smaller teams, to not have a person of authority there when the car/truck is going through tech,” he told Matt Weaver.
This isn’t the first heartbreak for Parker Kligerman. Just a couple of months ago, Kligerman was on the verge of his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Charlotte Roval. However, a late race caution ruined his chances, and he finished way back in 8th position. “I don’t know how to process this,” he had said. Now, history repeated itself, and shockingly, in both cases, a NASCAR ruling changed the outcome. However, NASCAR insiders have also revealed the reasons behind inconsistent decisions.
NASCAR insider opens up on inconsistent caution calls!
Apart from Parker Kligerman’s disqualification, NASCAR also faced scrutiny for inconsistent caution calls. At the Daytona 500, NASCAR allowed drivers to race on the last lap despite a massive crash. However, NASCAR called a caution in Atlanta when another photo finish was about to happen. Here’s what Amanda Ellis had to say about this decision after being backed by the likes of Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick.
She revealed that track layout plays a key role in such a decision. Daytona has double the exit points than Atlanta, which allows the safety crew a simple entry on the track. “And that alone makes calling those two races the same, in my opinion, very challenging,” said Ellis. Mike Forde echoed her sentiments and said that fans might witness a different decision at COTA next week.
He revealed that if a crash happens near the front of the field, officials must consider whether trailing cars can avoid it. On road courses like Circuit of the Americas, however, there’s more runoff space. A crash might not trigger a caution unless cars are in dangerous positions. “At road courses, because it’s so spread out, we might be able to keep it green,” Forde explained. The inconsistencies frustrate fans, but NASCAR argues that a one-size-fits-all rule isn’t realistic. That said, fans, drivers, and teams continue to push for more transparency.
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