Ricky Stenhouse Jr. triggers big pile-up after restart
Restarts are always perilous in NASCAR, and Sunday’s Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International was no exception.
Shortly after a restart on Lap 53, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got loose in Turn 5 and went off the left side of the track.
Stenhouse tried to save his out-of-control car, but it shot back across the track, triggering a big pile-up that also took out Austin Dillon, Stenhouse’s Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle, and Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson, who was trailing Stenhouse, slammed hard into the Roush Fenway Ford from behind, briefly lifting it off the ground.
No one was seriously injured, but the race was red-flagged for 13 minutes and 19 seconds to allow crews to clean up the track.
“We were just hustling hard on that restart and got loose over the curb and just kind of spun,” said Stenhouse. “From that point we were just along for the ride. It looked like everybody scattered and it was probably pretty hard to see. We got hit pretty hard. The guys had a fast car. …. We were hustling the car and just got loose.”
“I saw it early and started slowing up but the guys coming off the corner couldn’t see that,” added Stenhouse’s teammate Biffle. “I just got hit from behind and in the side. It wasn’t those guys’ fault. There are no spotters over there either so it is hard. It is hard to spot that area anyway. We are kind of on our own.”
Even though the damage knocked him out of the race, Johnson was happy it wasn’t worse.
“Cars started checking up in front of me and they all moved out of the way and the 17 (Stenhouse) was just sitting there,” said Johnson. “I remember seeing a door number and I was so thankful it was the passenger’s-side door and not the driver’s-side door because I plowed him. I really hit the car hard.”
Big bummer. @gbiffle headed to the garage.#CheezIt355 pic.twitter.com/KPYypOXikc
— Watkins Glen Int'l (@WGI) August 7, 2016
Heavily damaged Ford. @StenhouseJr was released from care center. pic.twitter.com/QT7ywr5rW9
— No. 17 RFR team (@Stenhouse17Team) August 7, 2016
Damage too severe on the 48 Chevy. @JimmieJohnson will not head back on track. pic.twitter.com/YklJAX7iQu
— Team Lowe's Racing (@LowesRacing) August 7, 2016
