Marco Andretti Loses Rear Axle During NASCAR Truck Series' Lone Road Course Race

Right before Corey Heim could claim the white flag on Saturday, Marco Andretti's complete back rear housing came out and his rear axle broke loose from his truck with two laps remaining. Andretti was running in the back half of the field at the time.

While loose tires have been a topic of note in the Cup Series since the beginning of the one-lug nut era, this is a complete oddity at any level of NASCAR racing.

NASCAR Trucks were using all of the tracks available at COTA, leading to multiple wheel-hops for drivers. It appears that Andretti broke or cracked the suspension arm of his No. 04 Chevy Silverado, leading to the detachment of the entire rear axle.

This is the second major oddity to happen during a NASCAR Truck Series this year after Bayley Currey lost his roof at Atlanta.

NASCAR should look into the decisions that led to Andretti's rear axle being so loosely connected that this would happen over the course of a 225-km race. There is no word from the sanctioning body at this time.

About an hour after the conclusion of the Truck race Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports reported that NASCAR will bring the entire rear axle to R&D for review.

Luckily, Andretti was not in a close battle on the race track when he lost the axle and spun.

The late yellow raised eyebrows at the track until it was clear that not only would the two-wheel truck need to be towed off the track but also its back housing that had rolled into the nearby green. Heim was able to hold off the second restart for his first Truck victory of the season.

Andretti is racing part-time in the truck series for Roper Racing in their No. 04 Chevrolet Silverado. His day was over with this DNF and a 31st offically in the books.

You Might Also Like

• You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox

• Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners

• The Man Who Signs Every Car