NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger was taken to the care center on a stretcher after the COTA Cup race

Despite a top-10 finish, Kaulig Racing driver AJ Allmendinger left the DuraMax Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne on a stretcher. The third Cup Series event was held on March 1, 2026, at Circuit of the Americas, marking the first road course of the season.

Allmendinger had a good qualifying session and qualified seventh for the 95-lap main event. Later, the driver of the No. 16 Chevy finished ninth. However, his best result of the season was not easy. He was taken to the care center for treatment after his amazing suit broke down during the race.

AJ Allmendinger was upright on the stretcher and became one of multiple drivers dealing with a similar problem. Reflecting on this, PRN wrote on X:

“AJ Allmendinger was taken to the care center for treatment, reports @WendyVenturini. AJ’s amazing suit failed during the race and he was handling a very hot car.”

Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman had to abandon his No. 48 Chevy with just 25 laps to go in the COTA race. Myatt Snyder replaced Bowman in his car to finish the race. Additionally, several drivers, including Team Penske’s Joey Logano and 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, handled the heat.

“That was tough: when AJ Allmendinger spoke frankly about his struggles in motor racing

In 2025, NASCAR Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger appeared in an interview with Motorsports.com before the first international race of the season. During the interactions, the 44-year-old spoke about the challenges he faced in the early motor racing series.

The driver of the No. 16 Chevy Camaro ZL1 made his series debut with Red Bull in 2006. He drove the No. 84 Dodge in his first season before moving to Toyota the following season. However, Allmendinger faced a series of DNQs with the energy brand team.

Recalling that moment, Allmendinger told the media:

“I was almost trying to learn how to walk again. And I fell into that with Red Bull. I never changed that, but I had no stock car racing experience. And they went straight to Cup. We were probably trying to do, I’m not saying the most competitive era, but it was definitely the most cars there. In my first two years, we had 50 to 56 cars trying to qualify for the race every week, so that was tough.”

AJ Allmendinger has been competing in the Cup Series for nearly two decades. He has three wins, 87 top-10 finishes and five pole positions in 483 starts. His last win came in the Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Roval in 2023.