Anger, dismay from NASCAR veterans as fallout from Martinsville Xfinity race continues

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The NASCAR Xfinity race at Martinsville featured 14 cautions and one red flag, with 104 of 256 laps run under yellow flag conditions. It was a rough short track race with contact all around the half-mile, culminating in a controversial finish where Sammy Smith came from several car lengths back to wreck race leader Taylor Gray. The move triggered a massive accident that eliminated Smith from contention as well.

Afterwards, Smith claimed “it’s what you got to do” in order to win, but several more experienced drivers disagreed. Here’s a look at just some of their comments during and after the highly contentious race:

Outrage from within the Xfinity field

The anger and frustration wasn’t limited to those watching, either. Several drivers in Saturday’s race were left outraged by the lack of race craft and professionalism.

After getting wrecked out of the event, an unimpressed Christian Eckes described 2025 as “the year from hell” for him. As for Sam Mayer, who initiated the wreck that eliminated him from the event, Eckes said of Mayer: “He’s not gonna change anything.”

Added Nick Sanchez, who was taken out in the same incident: “I don’t know why we’re wrecking on the straightaway at Martinsville … ready to get to some real racing next week.”

Jeremy Clements, a driver/owner and veteran of over 500 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, said this of the finish: “Really disappointed in the lack of respect on the track tonight. It’s a disgrace to this great series. Not many out there raced without just running into the guy in front of them. Not sure what we do to clean it up but something must be done.”

Taylor Gray, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Sammy Smith, JR Motorsprots Chevrolet

Logan Riely / Getty Images

Jeb Burton, who was collected in the last-lap melee, posted the following message on social media: “It’s sad when no one drives with any respect. I came from dead last tonight with no damage and we destroyed our car for what? Embarrassing.” Later on, he reflected on a rule from when he was coming up the ranks. “When I grew up late model racing they would call for rough driving and use a flag called the black flag. When is the last time have we used that? You race like a moron you get a sent to the rear. The damn local track today does it but we can’t?”

Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier called it “unacceptable” while speaking to Frontstretch in a post-race media scrum, adding: “Twenty years ago, we didn’t race like this.”

Garrett Smithley was proud of his own effort but that the racing devolved into “bumper cars” a bit too much. “I think we as a series need to be better.”

Anthony Alfredo suggested fans “watch a CARS Tour (late model) race for classic short track racing, not whatever that was. How do you suggest we fix this moving forward and redeem this track in this series to what it should be?”