TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — Tony Stewart can’t seem to catch a break in his returns to NASCAR.
The three-time Cup Series champion got caught in a pileup on the 17th lap of the Craftsman Truck Series race Friday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway.
After qualifying 29th, Stewart advanced 11 spots in the first 15 laps before his charge abruptly ended.
Stewart Friesen lost control of his No. 52 Toyota in traffic, triggering the nine-truck crash on the backstretch. Friesen made a hard right up the banking into the left front of Stewart’s No. 25 Dodge Ram. Both trucks slammed into the outside wall.
Stewart radioed his team that the impact knocked the wind out of him. He was seen and released from the track’s infield care center.
“I just saw Stewart Friesen in the middle had an issue, and there were two trucks in front of us that got in the wall,” said Stewart, who fell to 34th in the 36-truck field. “I started to get past those guys and didn’t see (Friesen) coming from the left.
“Yeah, it’s just a racing deal. That’s part of it. Stewart couldn’t go anywhere. He had an issue, and he’s stuck in the middle. So he was doing the best he can to hang onto it, and just everybody around him got caught up in it.”
The wreck also collected Garrett Mitchell, a YouTube influencer better known as “Cleetus McFarland” to his millions of followers.
“I just saw the wreck and started slowing down heavily trying to get down out of the way,” said Mitchell, who finished last. “I got lightly tapped in the back left. I was so pissed. I was riding, having a great race. I was totally good and just got spun, and my truck’s wrecked. It just sucks.”
It was the second truck start this season for Stewart, who raced in the Feb. 13 season opener at Daytona International Speedway after nearly a decade away from driving in NASCAR. He crashed after completing 39 laps and decided to return to the No. 25 eight months later because “we definitely didn’t get our fill at Daytona.”
Talladega might have been even more unsatisfying for Stewart, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame six years ago. The versatile star will now return to his full-time job as a Top Fuel driver in the NHRA drag racing series. He is ranked fourth in the championship standings with two races remaining.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing