“Straight Up Race Manipulation” – Fans Accuse NASCAR of Cheating After Controversial Talladega Photo Finish

Controversial. That’s one way to describe how the 2025 Ag-Pro 300 ended at Talladega Superspeedway. The caution flag and checkered flag flew simultaneously at the 2.66-mile tri-oval in what was a three-wide photo finish. With the ending being too close to call, NASCAR decided to rely on an electronic timestamp to decide the winner, with Austin Hill emerging victorious for the third time this season. However, not everyone is satisfied with the outcome, including Jeb Burton, who ended up second.

Fans have accused NASCAR of manipulating the outcome of the race, highlighting discrepancies in the screenshots used to decide the race winner. Could this be just another baseless conspiracy theory, or there is more to this situation than what meets the eye?

Jeb Burton feels robbed of Talladega victory

“Every angle I keep seeing, we won the race,” said Jeb Burton, who was visibly emotional in the post-race interview at Talladega. The Jordan Anderson Racing driver was feeling hard done by, especially because NASCAR relied on multiple camera angles to decide that Austin Hill had finished 0.001 second faster than the No. 27 Chevy. The most used angle showed Burton’s car at the bottom, Love in the middle, and Hill in the high lane. Taken from the infield, Burton felt that he seemed squarely ahead.

The sanctioning body showed multiple other angles as well, and each image showed just how close the call was. Jeb Burton thought the win was in the bag after he crossed the checkered flag, and he was seen celebrating in his car before NASCAR announced its verdict. The decision didn’t go down well with the racer, who said, “I’m just frustrated with [the decision]. “I feel like when the caution flew, I was in front of the 21.” He went on to say, “I don’t see the 21 ahead of me at all, any of this time.”

Determined to prove his point, Burton reviewed the screenshots himself, going on to say, “Right there, you can see my nose is in front of the 21. I don’t know what they’re looking at, is it not in front to you?” The 32-year-old felt that he had the best view in the cockpit, and told The CW Sports’ Kim Coon that he was going to ask NASCAR for more angles of the finish. The Virginia native knows a thing or two about winning at Talladega Superspeedway, having won twice at the racetrack in his career so far.

.@TheCW_Sports shows the camera angles that NASCAR used to determine the winner of this afternoon’s race at @TALLADEGA. pic.twitter.com/ohj2oVsB6D

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) April 26, 2025

Finishing second at the ‘Dega’ is Jeb Burton’s highest finish since the 2023 Ag-Pro 300, but it’s an outcome that has left a bitter taste in his mouth. Even though Austin Hill has been officially crowned the winner, the No. 27 Chevy driver is refusing to accept the outcome, saying, “They need to go look at it because every angle I keep seeing, we won the race.” He’s not the only one infuriated by NASCAR’s decision, as fans also feel that the sanctioning body has manipulated the race’s outcome.

Fans uncover discrepancies in NASCAR’s ‘evidence’

As expected, it didn’t take long for NASCAR fans to play detective and come to their conclusions about who deserved to win the 2025 Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega. Looking at the screenshots used by NASCAR to decide the winner, a fan realized that some photos featured black ads in the background while others didn’t, and went on to say, “ITS NOT THE SAME WALL AS IN THE FIRST TWO PICTURES????” Another X user went on to openly blame the sanctioning body, writing, “Straight up race manipulation by nascar.”

Finding NASCAR’s findings fishy, another motorsports enthusiast couldn’t help but observe, “Seems weird that during the replay on TV they showed this time stamp with cars next to the black ads, but official pictures after show them next to the red ads.” Impressed by the sharp eyes of some of NASCAR fans, another stock car racing fan gave credit where it’s due, saying, “Good catch ”

Another X user went on to speculate about a potential conspiracy theory, accusing NASCAR of influencing the result of the Talladega race. The fan went on to say, “If you look closely at the position on other cars for example the 99 it’s clear that he should at least be on or exiting that section of the black wall decal, however in the first two images he’s no where near.” Do you think NASCAR may have manipulated the race result? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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