Late Race Incidents Affect Outcome of Cup Race in Fontana

A Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway that was light on the caution count for 90 percent of its running was altered by cars spinning and/or hitting a wall in the closing laps.

In the first 180 laps, the caution flew only three times. It flew twice for the stage breaks and once on the third lap for Brad Keselowski spinning out on the frontstretch. Other than that, it was mostly clean.

With 20 laps to go, however, Gray Gaulding suffered a right-front tire blowout and slammed the outside wall in Turn 1, bringing out the fourth caution of the race.

On the ensuing restart, Martin Truex Jr. made contact with Matt Kenseth and sent him spinning down the track, where he slammed the inside wall driver-side.

With nine to go, Corey LaJoie spun out in Turn 2 and brought out the race’s sixth caution.

With three to go, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun out in Turn 2, setting up the overtime finish.

It’s the fourth straight race this season to have the final caution fly with 16 or fewer laps to go. The final caution flew with 16 to go at Atlanta Motor Speedway when Austin Dillon’s car stalled on the apron in Turn 2, 16 to go at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when Danica Patrick’s engine expired on the frontstretch and six to go at Phoenix International Raceway when Joey Logano suffered a right-front tire blowout and slammed the wall in Turn 1.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Tucker White
Tucker White
I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

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