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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

The NASCAR Cup Series weekend has officially gotten underway at the Circuit of The Americas. This is a brand new racetrack, so all drivers were entering unknown territory.

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Then, things became even more complicated when the heavens opened and there was a heavy downpour. Needless to say, many drivers like Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, and others, were caught out by the heavy showers.

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Sometime during the practice session, Kyle Busch used every ounce of his experience. In fact, his car was behaving as if it was a rally car.

Nevertheless, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver handled the car like a pro and was able to rescue it from disaster. However, there were plenty of other drivers who were not so lucky.

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USA Today via Reuters

Aside from Kyle Busch, who else got caught out?

Another victim was reigning Cup Series champion, Chase Elliott. The #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver was following his teammate, William Byron, when the incident occurred.

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Byron exited the last corner and over-steered a little, but Elliott went a step further when he nearly speared off the track and spun.

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Meanwhile, there was a close call involving Daniel Suarez as he was a bit unsighted due to fogged up windows. As he drove, he did not notice that he was approaching James Davison a little too fast. Suddenly, from the foggy windshield, Suarez caught sight of the looming rear end and jinked to avoid a collision.

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Needless to say, both drivers survived to race once again. However, the Mexican driver nearly wound up in the gravel and had to extricate himself. Undaunted, the two drivers continued on their way without further incidents.

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It just goes to show how treacherous the conditions. Luckily, there were very few major incidents and everyone got away scot-free.

READ MORE: Will Rain Affect the NASCAR Race at COTA? What Will Happen if it Rains Mid Qualifying?

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Dhruv George

14,855 Articles

Dhruv George is EssentiallySports’ foremost authority on motorsport and a founding member of the outlet’s NASCAR desk. A Journalism graduate fluent in English and French, he brings over eight years of motorsports journalism experience covering everything from high-octane NASCAR battles to the finesse of Formula 1 and MotoGP. His extensive paddock access has earned him exclusive interviews with top names such as F1’s Pierre Gasly and Moto2’s Tony Arbolino, cementing his reputation as a trusted voice among racing fans. Known for his candid opinions, Dhruv isn’t afraid to tackle contentious officiating calls, most recently defending Joey Logano after the DYL penalty in Phoenix. Before focusing on NASCAR as a Senior Writer, Dhruv contributed extensively to EssentiallySports’ coverage of F1 and NASCAR, building a versatile and impactful sports portfolio.

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