Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s driver, Sammy Smith, was officially declared the winner of Saturday night’s Xfinity Series race at Rockingham Speedway — his first win of the season — after Jesse Love’s car failed post-race inspection due to a violation involving the rear suspension.
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While Love initially crossed the finish line first in the series’ long-awaited return to Rockingham since 2004, his car was found in breach of NASCAR Rule 14.14.2.I-5.H, which mandates full contact between the truck trailing arm and the U-bolt saddle mating surfaces.
As a result, NASCAR relegated Love to a 37th-place finish, handing the victory to Smith. Love thus became the second national-level race winner this season to have a win overturned following an inspection. Earlier in the year, Parker Kligerman saw his Truck Series triumph at Daytona nullified after his vehicle failed post-race tech, with Corey Heim being awarded the win in his place.
Fans, still up in arms over Sammy Smith’s controversial promotion to winner at Rockingham, didn’t mince words. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. reposted the X post by NASCAR Xfinity, a fan remarked, “Yeah let’s celebrate a fake win with your piece of shit driver ! Ur a joke.”
Another fan said, “Really? You wanna win like this?” An X user quipped, “Winner by being the first to lose…. Got it.”
A third didn’t hold back, declaring, “Too bad. He is the last driver that should get/deserve a lucky break like that.”
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) April 20, 2025
Much of the backlash appears rooted in lingering frustration from Martinsville, where Smith was penalized for triggering a late-race wreck. In the closing lap of the Marine Corps 250, he drove hard into the rear bumper of Taylor Gray’s Toyota, sending the leader spinning in Turns 3 and 4. The chaos that ensued opened the door for Austin Hill to seize victory, his second of the season.
Eventually, NASCAR came down hard, penalizing Smith 50 driver points and handing him a $25,000 fine. The infraction dropped him from sixth to 13th in the standings, 128 points behind series leader and JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier, and just one point shy of Gray.
Despite the uproar from the NASCAR fans, Dale Jr. stood by his driver. When pressed by fans on whether disciplinary action would follow, Junior made it clear — Smith would not be benched for the next race or any to come. That stance only added fuel to the fire, further souring fan sentiments.
Meanwhile, Rockingham didn’t witness just one disqualification. Justin Bonsignore was also sent packing after officials found more than two lug nuts loose on his car during a post-race inspection. As a result, he was relegated to 38th — the final spot in the field.
