NASCAR Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger has shared a health update after a scary moment at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.
Allmendinger was one of nine drivers caught up in a wreck during stage one of the YellaWood 500, after Erik Jones turned Noah Gragson around, sending him flying into Allmendinger's No. 16 Chevrolet.
Allmendinger quickly came to a halt on the inside of the track, with the driver having grunted in pain over the radio after taking such a heavy hit. To make things worse, the car quickly began to fill with smoke too, with Allmendinger having to make a quick escape.
Whilst he was able to do that under his own power, the Kaulig Racing star immediately layed on the ground after doing so, only getting back to his feet once the NASCAR safety officials had arrived on the scene.
AJ Allmendinger health update
Thankfully, Allmendinger was then seen, evaluated and released from the infield care center, sharing the following update with the media afterwards.
“It hurt. It knocked the breath completely out of me, and then as I was trying to get out, I felt like the car, I couldn’t tell if it was catching on fire, but it definitely started smoking, so got out," Allmendinger explained.
"Definitely sore on my right side from hitting the wall. So more than anything, it was just trying to get the breath back and just take a moment there, and so I’m fine.
"I’ll be all right.”
Reflecting on how the wreck had unfolded, Allmendinger had explained: “I was just trying to lead both lanes and unfortunately, the outside lane didn’t really have that same plan.
"Got turned right up there, right up into the fence, and I think when Noah got turned, I think it hit the right-front tire and either knocked it flat or whatever, just turned me directly up in the wall.
"So disappointing there, but just the way this [superspeedway] racing is."
