Austin Cindric attributed the last collision in the Daytona 500, which resulted in the race ending under caution, to Corey LaJoie. Cindric and Ross Chastain collided with each other as they approached the trioval and the white flag during Monday night’s race. Initially, Chastain took responsibility for being too aggressive, but Cindric later explained outside the infield care center that his Team Penske Ford Mustang had been struck by LaJoie, causing him to be pushed up the track while Chastain was attempting to pass leader William Byron.
Cindric expressed his frustration, stating, “He didn’t see that I got wrecked. It’s just a really unfortunate ending. We had a chance to win the Daytona 500. We were in a great position with the outside lane breaking up and having a one-on-one opportunity with the 24 (Byron) and the whole pack behind us. You can’t really ask for anything more from myself and the team. It just sucks a little bit.”
As Byron led the field off Turn 4, Cindric was on the bottom with Chastain on his outside. LaJoie was drafting with Cindric on the bottom. When Byron moved to block Chastain’s run from the outside lane, Chastain veered left to get to the inside of Byron just as LaJoie attempted to pass Cindric from the inside. LaJoie’s path was blocked, causing him to collide with the rear bumper of Cindric, sending him sideways into Chastain.
Both Cindric and Chastain spun through the grass before returning to the racetrack. Cindric was then clipped by oncoming traffic. Cindric expressed his frustration towards LaJoie, saying, “Corey finished fourth, so congratulations to him. He tried to squeeze his car into a space where there wasn’t one and continued to push through my left rear until I crashed. I understand trying to make a move or seize an opportunity because I was probably in the best position possible coming to the white flag, but now I’m in the care center and I don’t even know where I finished. So it really sucks, but that’s racing.”
Byron ultimately won the race, while Cindric finished 22nd and Chastain finished 21st. On the final lap before the crash, LaJoie received assistance from AJ Allmendinger. LaJoie expressed his gratitude to Allmendinger for sticking with him when they returned to pit road.
“When I tried to take the bottom, the 2 (Cindric) left an entire lane open, and then he made a lazy block and caused a wreck involving a few cars, including himself,” LaJoie commented on the incident. “These things happen in racing.”
According to the Source racer.com
