This definitely wasn’t the kind of déjà vu NASCAR fans were expecting at the DuraMAX Grand Prix at COTA. Earlier in the weekend, when the Truck Series took the green flag in St. Petersburg, rookie Tyler Reif was overcome by soaring temperatures and was taken to the medical center after the race. Then on Sunday in the Cup event, the heat once again became the story, this time sidelining AJ Allmendinger in another reminder of how brutal these conditions can be.

It was a grinding afternoon for AJ Allmendinger, who started seventh and spent much of the race hovering inside the top 10 as strategy and cautions shuffled the order.

Early on, he kept himself in the mix as leaders traded positions and green flag pit cycles began to unfold. But Allmendinger‘s biggest challenge wasn’t the cars on the track; it was the brutal heat inside the cockpit.

The Kaulig Racing driver’s cool suit system reportedly failed during the race, a malfunction that can be worse than not having one at all. Instead of circulating cold fluid to regulate body temperature, the broken system trapped and pumped warm liquid through the tubing stitched into the layer, essentially turning it into a heat-retaining sweater behind the fire. And after climbing out of the car, he lay down and needed assistance, and was helped onto a stretcher.

Those sweltering conditions could cause any driver’s core temperature to spike rapidly. And AJ wasn’t the only driver who suffered. Alex Bowman also experienced heat exhaustion due to a failed cooling suit.

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According to reports from pit road, Allmendinger was taken to the infield care center for evaluation after the race, having endured the final laps in an extremely hot car while still managing to bring it home inside the top 10, while Reddick took the checkered flag on lap 95.

Despite all these struggles, the No. 16 driver kept his chin up and earned some valuable points in the race. Allmendinger showed real pace today, running second by stage 1 and 5th by stage 2, ultimately bringing his Kaulig Racing Chevrolet to a blistering 9th place finish before the ambulance caught him post-race.

In fact, Kaulig Racing did not skip a beat to assure the fanbase of Allmendinger’s health, posting, “Absolute warrior,[Allmendinger] will be okay,” on social media. Moreover, his helmet fan failed during the race, making the cockpit heat suffocating, turning every lap into a physical test of endurance.

However, despite the scary post-race visuals, there was relief soon after. Allmendinger was evaluated at the infield care center and has since been released, signaling that the veteran pushed through the worst of it and avoided anything more serious, just like Tyler Reif in the Truck Series.

But as AJ pushed through to complete the race, Alex Bowman’s COTA race told an entirely different story.

Alex Bowman pulls himself out of the COTA race

The Hendrick Motorsports driver stepped out of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race with roughly 25 laps remaining, prompting the team to prepare a mid-race driver change for the No. 48 Chevrolet.

Bowman brought the car to the garage area as the team evaluated the situation. He reportedly was not feeling well and was unsure whether he could physically finish the race. Running near the back and out of contention, the final decision was left to him.

“Buddy, I don’t know if I’m gonna make it,” Bowman radioed to the team before electing to climb out of the car.

After exiting, the 32-year-old was transported to the infield care center for evaluation and treatment. Myatt Snider stepped in to complete the race, despite not having competed in the Cup Series this season.

In an unexpected twist, Snider had been working as a pit spotter for FOX Sports reporter Jamie Little earlier in the event when Hendrick Motorsports called to see if he was available as a substitute.

Fortunately, Snider had his helmet and fire suit with him, allowing him to quickly climb into the No. 48 and finish the race.

Tasked with limiting the damage in the closing laps, Snider aimed to salvage whatever points he could for Bowman and the team, marking a sudden and unusual return to Cup competition under challenging circumstances.