Racing star under attack after 'weaponising' race car in revenge crash

The American driver’s actions have sparked outrage among fans, with many calling for severe penalties, and some even suggesting legal consequences.

The controversy began when Daryn Klein attempted a slide job on Gardner coming out of a corner. Klein failed to fully clear the move, riding up onto the hood of Gardner’s car and sending him into Dylan Thornton.

After the initial contact, Gardner returned to the track in a highly dangerous manner, steering right and effectively driving against the flow of traffic.

Race control immediately threw a caution to avoid a potential high-speed head-on collision, with the rest of the field carefully making their way past Gardner’s stationary No. 4 car.

However, the situation escalated further. Gardner cut across the infield to rejoin ahead of the pack, slotting in just behind Klein’s No. 10 car. He then forced Klein towards the outside barriers before making contact again.

As Klein attempted to accelerate away, Gardner hooked the nose of his car underneath Klein’s, lifting the No. 10 and flipping it onto its roof.

Fortunately, the relatively low speed of the incident meant that Klein escaped serious injury. Officials quickly black-flagged Gardner, with the message “No. 4 team, you are done for the night,” broadcast over the circuit tannoy.

Reaction among fans was overwhelmingly negative. Many took to social media demanding a lengthy suspension, while others went as far as to call for Gardner’s arrest, citing the deliberate nature of his actions.

Series officials have yet to confirm what penalties, if any, will follow, but the incident has already been described as one of the most reckless in recent dirt racing memory.