Allmendinger Disqualified After Watkins
A.J. Allmendinger leads a pack of cars during the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. (HHP/Garry Eller photo)

Allmendinger Disqualified After WGI Runner-Up

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – A.J. Allmendinger moved to two-for-two in NASCAR Xfinity Series disqualifications following Saturday’s Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen Int’l.

Allmendinger’s runner-up finish to Austin Cindric was thrown out following post-race inspection, after his No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro failed rear heights.

Both the right-rear and left-rear corners were found to be too low in post-race inspection, dropping Allmendinger to last in the 37-car field after he led a race-high 24 of 82 laps.

It is the second DQ in two starts this season for the Los Gatos, Calif., native, who also had his third-place finish at Daytona Int’l Speedway stripped for an engine seal infraction.

Xfinity Series director Wayne Auton noted after the event that Allmendinger’s machine was inspected for damage, and that a second DQ wouldn’t necessarily mean harsher penalties for Kaulig Racing.

“No, we’ll obviously talk about it, but whenever you get DQ-ed, I think that’s a pretty big penalty in itself,” Auton said. “We consider this race closed now. The other cars have passed inspection.”

Christopher Bell became the new second-place finisher, followed by Justin Allgaier, Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick.