Daytona 500: Ross Chastain, Kyle Busch, several others take heavy damage in chaotic wreck
The first “Big One” has happened in Sunday’s 67th running of the Daytona 500 — taking out multiple contenders on lap 71-of-200.
Joey Logano and Alex Bowman led the field to green on the Stage 2 restart. Logano, on the outside line, experienced an issue with his engine and couldn’t get much push headed into Turn 1. That stacked up the field behind him, thus triggering the wreck.
John Hunter Nemechek made contact with Ross Chastain, sending the No. 1 car into Helio Castroneves who went up and into the wall. Kyle Busch, Chase Briscoe, Riley Herbst, Justin Allgaier, Cody Ware, Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson were also involved in the accident.
Trackhouse Racing teammates Chastain and Castroneves are out of the race. Truex, who retired from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition after the 2024 season, is also done early.
Several big names out of Daytona 500 early
“It’s always disappointing when you don’t finish no matter the situation. But especially in a race like this when it’s probably our only shot this year,” Truex told FOX Sports. “Thanks to Bass Pro and Tricon and everyone who helped us put this together. It was fun while it lasted but unfortunately, we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time there.”
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Chastain expressed frustration with his position on the restart, citing some “bad decisions” during Stage 1.
“If I made some better moves in our Busch Light Chevy like 30 laps earlier, I probably wouldn’t have been back there in the first place,” Chastain said. “Thought the top would be a little more dominant and I could save more fuel in that first run and stay up front and I just slowly over the whole first stage worked my way from third all the way to the back of the field.
“So, just some bad decisions there and that puts us with the accordion coming back. Didn’t see the hit coming to get right rear hooked. And then of course, take out my teammate on my way to the wall.”