AJ Allmendinger car fails post-race inspection after Daytona Xfinity race

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - JULY 05: Ross Chastain, driver of the #16 Ellsworth Advisors Chevrolet, AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #10 Cornerstone Produce Group Chevrolet, and Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Ruud-Ferguson Toyota, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Circle K Firecracker 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on July 05, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

The 1-2-3 finish for the Kaulig Racing in Friday nights NASCAR Xfinity race at Daytona looked good on TV at least.  Unfortunately for the team hours after the finish the official results moved the third-place car of AJ Allmendinger to the bottom of the results.

The No. 10 car of Allmendinger was disqualified by NASCAR after failing post-race tech. According to Xfinity Series director Wayne Auton, the engine on the car was found to have a discrepancy after a vacuum check.

“Whenever you go, especially to restrictor-plate style races, the teams are very much aware that everything’s got to be sealed up tight,” Auton told NASCAR.com. “It could compromise the ability of the restrictor plate to do its job.”

Allmendinger was relegated to last place in the 38-car field; Ross Chastain and runner-up Justin Haley both passed post-inspection and Christopher Bell was moved up to third.

Auton said that officials normally check the first- and second-place cars in post-race inspection, then a third car at random. The first two passed the vacuum test and all other areas of the inspection.

Allmendinger who now spends his time as a TV analyst was making his first national series start since last November.

Greg Engle