TULSA, Okla. – The No. 08 Tulsa Sod & Mulch Spike-Toyota of Michael Faccinto has been withdrawn from the 34th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals after a third-place finish in his preliminary feature.
The decision to withdraw Faccinto was made following his post-race interview Tuesday night, where he made a derogatory comment on the Racinboys pay-per-view broadcast.
Faccinto’s primary sponsor for the Chili Bowl Nationals, Tulsa Sod & Mulch, issued a statement on social media regarding the decision to withdraw him Wednesday morning.
“Tulsa Sod & Mulch is more than a sod and landscape business. It’s a company that supports the local racing community every chance it gets,” said James Moran, president for Tulsa Sod & Mulch. “This year we had the honor to team up with Dave Mac Motorsports at the 34th annual Chili Bowl. As a team, we have made the decision to pull the Tulsa Sod & Mulch No. 08 entry of Michael Faccinto for the remainder of the Chili Bowl.
“We are truly sorry for anyone who was offended by a comment made following the final race on Tuesdays night’s event card.”
Faccinto, who was competing in his seventh Chili Bowl Nationals, was in line for a front-row starting spot in one of Saturday’s B-mains, but will now have to watch the festivities from the sidelines.
The 29-year-old from Hanford, Calif., accepted full responsibility for his actions when SPEED SPORT spoke to him on Wednesday afternoon.
“First off, I again want to apologize,” said Faccinto, who issued an initial apology on social media late Tuesday night. “That’s something that should never come out of my mouth, at all. I feel bad for the Dave Mac team and I feel bad for Tulsa Sod & Mulch, because those are two great brands and two great companies. Dave (McIntosh) fields great race cars and I’m just disappointed at what happened. It should never have happened.
“This was easily my best opportunity to do well in the main event on Saturday, but you have to learn from your mistakes and just keep digging and moving forward. That’s what I plan on doing.”
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