Justin Haley Hits Rabbit, Fans React
Justin Haley had a quietly strong day at Sonoma Raceway, finishing 15th for his best result since May. But the race took a somber turn near the end. With 13 laps remaining during a caution period, Haley’s No. 7 car struck a rabbit that darted across the track. An incident he immediately radioed in.
“Oh God, I just hit a bunny,” Haley told his team.
As the Sonoma race continued, Haley couldn’t shake the incident.
“I can’t believe I killed a bunny. Oh, I feel horrible. He was running so fast.”
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first animal fatality of the 2025 NASCAR season or even the second.
Read More: Calls Mount for Bubba Wallace Suspension after NASCAR Penalty Drama
NASCAR Drivers Struggle With Surprising On-Track Wildlife
Earlier this year, Josh Berry experienced a similar shock during the race at Talladega Superspeedway. A bird flew directly into his windshield near the start-finish line and was instantly killed.
Then, just last month at Michigan International Speedway, Ty Dillon hit a squirrel as he pulled into his pit box. The Kaulig Racing driver reacted on the team radio:
“I think I just murdered a squirrel getting into my damn pit box.”
A teammate even screamed out loud in surprise, confirming the unfortunate outcome.
While these incidents are rare and accidental, they are a reminder that race tracks often located in rural or semi-rural areas intersect with wildlife habitats. Drivers don’t expect animals to cross paths mid-race, yet it happens.
Unlike the controlled environments off the track, NASCAR drivers face unexpected variables in real time. When one of those variables is a fast-moving animal, there’s often nothing they can do.
It’s a sad and unavoidable reality in motorsports.
Read More: Calls Mount For NASCAR To Suspend Ty Gibbs After Sonoma Race
