Squirrel Causes NASCAR Delay at Texas Motor Speedway

(Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Squirrel Causes NASCAR Delay at Texas Motor Speedway

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated May 1, 2026 4:20 PM ET

Before the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series took to the track for qualifying, things were put on hold. It wasn't weather or a wreck, but a squirrel on the track that caused the issue.

A squirrel found its way onto the track. The poor rodent likely made his home at the track prior to all of the people descended for NASCAR weekend. Safety crews tried for quite a while to capture the animal and remove it from the track.

Despite the somewhat significant delay, the squirrel remained uncaptured. Even more unfortunate, reports on the radio at the track indicate the animal was run over by the 13 truck of Cole Butcher during his qualifying run.

Ben Rhodes prepares to qualify at Texas Motor Speedway. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

The day the squirrel went berserk while the Truck teams tried to work pic.twitter.com/tXdJCOvEzc
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 1, 2026

If it is true and the squirrel did meet his end, at least we'll always have those few moments of watching grown men try to grab it on national television. That is a sendoff fit for a small rodent, I think.

Of course, there is a race to be had. Ben Rhodes is going to start on the pole ahead of his teammate Jake Garcia. This is the first pole for Rhodes this season. Rhodes is a two-time champion of the series, and right now is 8th in points. He has two strong top-five results this season already, and is looking to earn a win on Friday night at Texas.

These moments where wildlife meets motorsports are always so interesting. You never know how it is going to end, but the chase is always the best part. Hopefully, the series can put on a strong performance in memory of that poor squirrel.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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