NASCAR: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Forced to Apologize After Carson Kvapil's Indianapolis Celebration Sparks Backlash

Dale Earnhardt Jr. apologized on behalf of JR Motorsports after Carson Kvapil’s celebration at Indianapolis Motor Speedway drew backlash. Kvapil won his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race, the Pennzoil 250 on July 25, 2026, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet. But during the post-race celebration, he spun his tires across the Yard of Bricks, leaving black marks on the iconic brick surface that the track typically asks drivers not to burn out on. NASCAR had warned the team during the cool-down lap, but Kvapil didn’t receive the message because his radio was disconnected. Earnhardt Jr. posted that the team regretted any inconvenience, and track crews cleaned the bricks by hand before the Brickyard 400.