A controversial swap: The last winning car used two separate drivers in NASCAR

Relief drivers are not a new concept in the world of NASCAR, and the rules around it have not changed in a long time. Anyone who starts the race is credited with finishing status and numerals, no matter how many laps they run.

However, it is very rare that one of these cars with mid-race drivers swap proceeds to actually win. And yet, what is it really Parker Cliggerman While filling for Connor Zilisk Friday night in Detona.

Zilisk, Who was recovering from a broken collarboneStarted the race and rode behind the pack. After completing 13 of the 100 laps, he pulled down the pit road during the first period of caution. Cligarman was waiting and in some only sports car racing fan is accustomed to watching, The team quickly orchestrated a driver Swap.

Zilisch Clocal Team chief Mardi Lindley and team co-owner climbed the box box Dale Arnhard Junior. While the Cligarman ran the rest of the race. Well, as in luck, Cliggerman (who has never won the Xfinity race),, The checker went to capture the flag in 1-2-3 finish for JRM.

Notorious milk driver swap

So when the Cligarman got to celebrate, it is actually a zilisk that gets the credit for the race victory. This has not happened in any national level NASCAR race since the 2007 season, and it was a very different situation.

Denny Hamlin In the weekend of 22-24 June in 2007, it was determined to do double duty between the CUP and the Xfinity race. But it was not going to be simple as walking on the other side of the garage, as the Cup series was running in Sonoma, California, while the Xfinity series was competing in the milvauki mile in the series Wisconsin.

because of that, Eric almarola Through practice and merit, the car was drove, even earned the situation of the pole. Helin was running late as the race started, so Almarola actually piloted the car for 59 laps before the race. He was running third when Hemalin arrived, and due to sponsor commitments, Hamlin reluctantly captured the car. It was a very unpopular step, and Almarola was clearly disappointed about it.

Former cup series champion Rusty Walece, who was in the broadcast booths for ESPN, were out of them, they were openly critical of the decision.

Hamlin actually fell into a lap due to the time it took to swap the driver. Despite this, he fought back to the lead lap, and Halin left number 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet for a very controversial victory – a win that Almarola finally received credit.

Win a ‘bitwatch’

“It was a group’s decision,” said Dave Rogers, the head of the crew at that time. “It’s difficult. Denny did not really want to get into it, and we didn’t really want to get Eric out. But it is Rockwell’s Global Headquarters (#20 Sonserure), and we found a lot of rockwell employees in those stands. He made it clear that he wanted to see Denny Hamlin winning and he had come to see the Denny Race.”

In Vijay Lane, Hamlin said about the swap: “I knew he would really get upset how well he was running at that time. But we do what we do, and of course it was not my choice.”

Almarola rejected the interview and left the track before his conclusion, so he did not attend the winning ceremony. It is not very likely that he wanted to do anyway. The good news for Almarola is that he went to win several more races in both the cup and exfinity series, including a reunion with JGR.