A Strong Night by Allgaier and the DEFT Finishes Team Goes Up In Flames in Indianapolis
A Strong Night by Allgaier and the DEFT Finishes Team Goes Up In Flames in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 30, 2011) – Justin Allgaier and the No. 31 Deft Finishes team made their way to the Hoosier State for the final running of the Kroger 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway. Allgaier fought a tight-handling race car throughout much of the 200-lap event, battled hard and was on tap to bring home another top-five finish, but with two laps remaining, his machine caught on fire. After a scary moment in which he rushed to exit the smoking car, he was relegated to a 27th-place finish.
The No. 31 Deft Finishes team unloaded for two practice sessions on Saturday morning and fought to find the right setup on the racing machine. By the end of the final practice, he was listed 22nd on the speed charts. The 25-year-old Riverton, Ill-native returned later that afternoon and qualified the No. 31 machine in the fourth position with a time of 22.938-seconds to start the 137-mile race.
From the drop of the green flag, the Deft Finishes driver fought a tight-handling condition but managed to maintain his position in the opening laps of the race. As the laps ticked on, he reported the car was loose on entry and plowing the center of the corner. The caution flew on lap 47, giving Allgaier the opportunity to hit pit road. Crew chief Jimmy Elledge called for air pressure, track bar and wedge adjustments along with four tires and fuel.
Allgaier restarted fourth on lap 53 and immediately reported that he was plowing tight through the turns. He remained inside the top-five for the next 58 laps. As the caution flew on lap 113, Allgaier hit pit road for a track bar adjustment, four tires and fuel before lining up seventh for the restart on lap 120. As race progressed, Allgaier reported he was starting to get loose on entry to the corner. The caution flew once again for an incident on lap 175, forcing NASCAR to display the red flag for extensive cleanup in turns three and four. Once the red flag was lifted, Allgaier hit pit road for a wedge adjustment and two tires. He restarted in the sixth position with seventeen laps remaining. He quickly climbed to the third position before the caution flew once again.
The Nationwide Series championship contender was set to restart from the second position on the outside of the front row. Just as the field was coming to the green, flames started coming out from under the hood of the No. 31. Allgaier circled the track for three laps hoping that the fire would put itself out. Eventually, as the flames crept into the cockpit, Allgaier quickly got onto pit road and vacated his car with help from the No. 32 crew, as flames and smoke billowed out. His night over, he was credited with a 27th-place finish. He remains fourth in championship point standings 52 out of the lead.
“We battled a tight condition throughout the evening, and we continued to work on it to stay up front. It’s unfortunate to see our night go up in smoke like it did. Thanks to the 32 crew for helping me get out of the car. On to Iowa, where we hope to gain ground in the point standings, get a win and bring home an extra $100,000 in the Nationwide Dash 4 Cash race.
Next Stop: The NASCAR Nationwide Series teams will head back to the Hawkeye State, Iowa Speedway for the US Cellauer 250. The Saturday afternoon race will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN and on MRN Radio affiliates. LIVE coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. EST.
