NASCAR: AJ Allmendinger Wins Crash-Filled Race at Indianapolis Road Course
Racer AJ Allmendinger bagged the cup victory in NASCAR Cup Series' first road-course race at Indianapolis on Sunday.
The Xfinity series driver, who placed first among his competitors, led the two laps of overtime to assure his second career NASCAR Cup Series. Allmendinger's win was announced around 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday.
NASCAR Results: AJ Allmendinger Placed First Among in the Road Course Race in Indianapolis
AJ Allmendinger entered the second overtime, along with other top racers such as Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, and Matt DiBenedetto. However, Hamlin and Briscoe did not make it to the competition's top 10.
Although Hamlin was not able to make it to the top 10, he led the race on the final restart with two laps to go before rookie Briscoe hit him from behind in Turn 10. Briscoe finished 26th in the race while Hamlin placed 23rd.
"I agree it's not on purpose, but my team told me he [Briscoe] had a penalty right away and to me, it's obvious.," Hamlin noted. The racer explained that they would be issued a penalty if they cut the racetrack and ended up in the lead.
Allmendinger described his experience as "survival of the fittest." The racer said he thought he would finish 12th to 15th, labeling the restarts as "insane."
Allmendinger was followed by Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliot. Meanwhile, DiBenedetto placed fifth in the race. Other racers included in the top ten were Kurt Busch, Erik Jones, Justin Haley, Austin Cindric, and Ryan Newman.
"It's great when you have a car owner that just says, 'go get me trophies.' He doesn't care if that thing is torn up." Allmendinger shared.
As he won the race, AJ Allmendinger was reported to yell towards the grandstand after screaming over the radio about his victory. However, Allmendinger would not be eligible for playing in the playoffs, as the NASCAR Indianapolis winner is an Xfinity driver, which will be good news for Hamlin and other bubble drivers.
Multiple Cars Involved in a Crash During the NASCAR Indianapolis
Although NASCAR Indianapolis saw a triumphant Allmendinger in the race, the racetrack also witnessed a tragic crash involving multiple cars during the competition. According to reports, the curbing on Turns 5 and 6 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road course became an issue for most of the Verizon 200.
The massive car crash involved multiple cars, including those driven by William Byron, Joey Logano, and Ryan Preece.
At around 3:49 p.m., Sporting News reported that the road course was closed under the red flag conditions while NASCAR cleaned the damage. The outlet further noted that at least 10 cars were involved in the crash, but not all vehicles were damaged.
Another crash was reported during NASCARs' first attempt to overtime, as Michael McDowell went airborne over the turn, prompting a crash that took out several other drivers.
The collision ended the afternoons of McDowell and Austin Dillon, and the red flag was again brought out.
More debris appeared at the turn with 10 laps remaining that brought another caution flag. Officials did not provide details regarding the condition of the racers involved in the crash.
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This article is owned by Latin Post
Written By: Joshua Summers
WATCH: A.J. Allmendinger Puts Kaulig Racing Into Victory Lane at Indianapolis - From Motorsports on NBC