Allmendinger wins crash-marred Brickyard 200

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — AJ Allmendinger screamed in elation after wining Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Just about everyone else left the world-famous speedway frustrated, angry or bewildered by a bizarre Brickyard 200 finish that involved 16 wrecked cars, two red flags, a spin out of the race leader and a penalty all in the final five laps to help Allmendinger reach victory lane.

The 39-year-old Allmendinger beat Ryan Blaney across the yard of bricks by 0.929 seconds to pick up his second career Cup win in his fourth start of the season. It also was the first win for Kaulig Racing in the team's seventh start.

“Oh my God, I just won at Indy. Shank I just wanted to be like you,” Allmendinger shouted to the crowd, referencing Michael Shank's win at the Indianapolis 500. “It was just survival of the fittest.”

Allmendinger's other victory also came on a road course, Watkins Glen in 2014.

Indianapolis' 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course certainly proved to be a challenge for everyone on this wild crossover weekend. After watching one IndyCar and two NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers go airborne in the sixth turn Saturday, track officials removed the “turtle” there.

On Sunday, drivers were having trouble with the chicane in the back-to-back fifth and sixth turns. The damaged obstacle, NASCAR officials said, had deteriorated by the end of the race. Whether that was because three consecutive days of practice, qualifying and racing was unclear.

Track workers still attempted to fix it during the race and once pulled a 3-foot metal piece from underneath it.