Watkins Glen International’s tight confines often leaves no room for escape when trouble occurs on the seven-turn, 2.45-mile road course, which is precisely what transpired during Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Big wreck collects Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at Watkins Glen
Tight racing and a narrow track contributed to a multi-car accident during Sunday’s NASCAR race.
Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got loose going through Turn 5 and spun nose-first into the guardrail on Lap 55 of the Cheez-It 355. His car then careened back onto the track directly in front of Jimmie Johnson, who collided with Stenhouse’s No. 17 Ford. In the ensuing pileup, Austin Dillon and Greg Biffle were also collected, with all four cars sustaining significant damage.
None of the four drivers involved were injured. NASCAR stopped the race for over 13 minutes to clean up the track.
“The cars started checking up in front of me and they all moved out of the way and the No. 17 was sitting there, stopped,” Johnson said. “I remember seeing a door number and I was so thankful it was the passenger-side door and not the driver-side door because I plowed him. I really hit the car hard. I was afraid that I might have injured him.
“Thankfully he’s okay and everybody is all right.”
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