AUSTIN, Texas: Sage Karam and Sam Hunt Racing’s phenomenal day turned sour on the final lap of Saturday’s Focused Health 250 at Circuit of the Americas.
After qualifying his No. 26 CRC Brakleen Toyota sixth on Friday afternoon, the IndyCar star looked to capitalize on the speed in the Xfinity Series’ first road course race of the season.
Karam not only showcased speed in the flagship number for the Mooresville, N.C.-based team, but he also found himself in contention for the win in the second NASCAR overtime when the Nazareth, Pa. native took advantage of a chaotic restart with leaders Shane van Gisbergen, AJ Allmendinger, and Austin Hill.
The 29-year-old cleared Turn 1 in the runner-up spot and found himself doing everything he could to close in on Hill for his first career Xfinity Series win.
Karam, though, would find himself under fire from the likes of John Hunter Nemechek, Parker Kligerman, Allmendinger, and others in his attempt to capture his third career top-five finish.
Hard racing saw Karam maintain his top-five position on the last lap, but his No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota got spun in Turn 7 after contact with Kligerman. The contact not only erased a top-five finish but also left the team with a frustrating 17th-place finish at the checkered flag.
Climbing from his car, Karam vented his frustration to Kligerman shouting at him as a “talentless” race car driver before walking back to the team transporter and closing out his third Xfinity Series race of the season.
“Great day gone bad,” Karam tweeted Saturday night. “Second on last restart in a good spot and got run over from what the 48 (Kligerman) says “he was left no choice.” Everyone has choices, but sometimes they are the wrong ones. Bummed for the Sam Hunt Racing crew, they didn’t deserve that result.
“Our day is coming.”
Kligerman offered his point of view on social media too.
“I feel awful for Sam Hunt. I love that guy and have immense respect for what he has built and his employees. I consider them friends.
“But there is an etiquette to this game when it comes to contact and I felt like the signal I was given, was if I re-passed their car I was going to be spun. Not a position I wanted to be in but I felt I was left no choice to get what my team deserved.
“I look forward to chatting with Sage when the time is right.”
Sam Hunt Racing fielded two cars in the 50-lap race on Saturday.
Former IndyCar driver Ed Jones made his Xfinity Series debut but finished 35th after being collected in a Lap 42 accident.
The Xfinity Series continues its 33-race season with the ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway on Saturday, March 30, 2024.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
