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WATCH: Controversial Last-Lap Finish at IMSA Draws the Ire of Fans as NASCAR Ace Also Reacts

Published 11/14/2021, 2:15 PM EST

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The 2021 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar finale ended in a very controversial fashion. At the Road Atlanta race track, Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor were competing for the championship. They were up against former F1 driver Felipe Nasr, and Pipo Derani at the race when the incident took place. Needless to say, NASCAR driver Ryan Vargas had front row seats for the show.

The incident took place at the final turn of the 10-hour Petit Le Mans and the two battled for the title. Apparently, Taylor skidded off course while trying to overtake Nasr. As he drove through the grass, the American driver managed to regain control of his Wayne Taylor Racing Acura and rejoin the track. However, the excursion was enough to see the Brazilian overtake and beat him to the line.

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In the end, Nasr could only muster second behind Mazda’s Oliver Jarvis, Harry Tincknell and Jonathan Bomarito. On the bright side, Nasr and Derani’s efforts brought the title to Action Express. After snatching pole, the Brazilian duo duelled with the Wayne Taylor Racing pair. The stakes were such, that the title would go to the first car across the finish line.

“It’s the championship and I’m always going to go for it,” Taylor said. “I should have gone full throttle earlier in the gravel. I race hard and I expect everybody to race me the same way I race them.”

Vargas was not the only NASCAR driver to react to the move

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Of course, there were several fans who did not appreciate the corner-cutting tactics. However, they were vindicated when Nasr and company won the title, as the driver was leaving Action Express. Even fellow NASCAR driver Chase Briscoe reacted to the blatant corner cut. He asked whether the driver received a penalty for the offense. Meanwhile, Vargas himself had a great view of the incident.

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One thing is for sure, the driver and all the other spectators had a good time at the race. Many also insisted that they enjoyed the season finale, as five classes had their title deciders at this race.

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Motorsports author for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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