INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — AJ Allmendinger took advantage of two frightening multi-car crashes in the final five laps to win the Brickyard 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Making only his second NASCAR Cup start of the season, the 39-year-old Allmendinger raced to his second career Cup victory and gave Kaulig Racing its first win in only the organization’s seventh series start.
But the 0.929-second victory over Ryan Blaney in the first Cup race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course was marred by two huge pileups that brought out red flags. Pole-sitter William Byron went over the curbing in the fifth turn and was sent off the course. Eight more drivers quickly followed him, immediately bringing out a yellow and eventually a red flag. A second wreck involved seven cars, but NASCAR reported no injuries.
