WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) – AJ Allmendinger beat Marcos Ambrose on a two-lap dash to the finish to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International on a somber Sunday.
The victory made his one-car team for JTG Daugherty Racing eligible for the Chase for the Sprint Cup title. Allmendinger held off Ambrose through the first two turns and opened a lead after both cars bumped and won going away.
Three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart pulled out of the race 12 hours after he struck and killed a sprint car driver who had climbed from his car during a race in nearby Canandaigua, New York.
Allmendinger offered his condolences to the Ward family after he won, saying “we’re a community here, we’re thinking about you.”
In a statement released during the race by a spokesman, Stewart said: “There aren’t words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr. It’s a very emotional time for all involved, and it is the reason I’ve decided not to participate in today’s race at Watkins Glen. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and everyone affected by this tragedy.”