#FreeBrandon: Short track community stands in defense of Brandon Setzer

The CARS Tour decision on Tuesday night to suspend Brandon and Dennis Setzer for the remainder of the season due to their involvement in the post-race fight on Saturday night at Hickory Motor Speedway was not taken positively from within the short track industry.

While a degree of fan vitriol was to be expected any time a driver is involved in a post-race fracas, it was surprising to see the amount of support the Setzers received from inside the short track industry. Several notable current and former drivers chimed in on Twitter to support the Super Late Model winner and his NASCAR legend father.

A sampling of the feedback can be found below:

I don’t agree with the @CARSTour full-season suspension for @BSetzerRacing6 – he and his dad are good people. They have passion and it showed this weekend. As a promoter the whole ordeal brought a lot of exposure for the series too. #FreeBrandon #TooHarsh

— Bob Dillner (@bobdillner) May 9, 2018

Worst move ever. Setzer’s are the best. Maybe find out what got them that mad and fix that instead

— Brian Keselowski (@KeselowskiBrian) May 9, 2018

#FreeSetzer

— Trevor Rizzo (@_TrevorRizzo) May 9, 2018

Bad idea. Dumb

— Bubba Pollard (@bubbapollard26) May 9, 2018

Back when I was a little kid our short tracks would promote rivalries, remember seeing Lanier and Gresham have “boxing” style posters highlighting rivalries and competition. Racing needs that and people like you and your dad buddy! Hardcore racers who eat,live, sleep, breath it

— Spencer Davis (@SpencerDavis_29) May 9, 2018

#FreeBrandon @CARSTour @BSetzerRacing6

— Deac McCaskill (@Deac08) May 9, 2018

#FreeBrandon pic.twitter.com/OovtyCe18B

— Josh Berry (@joshberry) May 9, 2018

Wrong driver getting fined in @CARSTour #FreeSetzer

— Ricky Turner (@RickyTurner28) May 9, 2018

I can’t believe they would suspend him all year when he races clean and with respect because he actually has to work on his own stuff and he gets flat run over and got mad. I would have been every bit as angry as him https://t.co/E9cd35lbqm

— Matt DiBenedetto (@mattdracing) May 9, 2018

Big shoutout to @CARSTour for the suspension on @BSetzerRacing6 and promoting the video of what all went down. If you’re going to suspend someone who supports your series and has been loyal to it since day 1, don’t use the footage as a ploy to sell tickets. Just my two cents.

— Payne Train. (@nickpain) May 9, 2018

Hours later on top of it. Bad look for the tour. The longer they wait the worse it looks for them IMO. You can’t use something to promote racing and then announce the driver is suspended shortly after. Pick one

— Kyle Souza (@ksouza261) May 9, 2018

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