NASCAR throws red flag after massive crash takes out field at Talladega

One bad push is all it takes. Brandon Jones got Carson Kvapil loose in the tri-oval, and then all Hell broke loose going into Turn 1. No matter who you are, NASCAR at Talladega does not show any mercy.

The restart with 13 laps to go in the race went well at first. Then there was a debris caution. 8 laps to go, drivers were putting on their best performances, three wide, making moves up front, and taking chances.

Then there were cars and smoke and oil all over the place.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega is under a red flag and we will be heading to overtime. Three laps to go and then the entire field is wrecking. That’s just how it goes at NASCAR’s largest oval.

THE BIG ONE STRIKES WITH 3 LAPS TO GO!

A push from Brandon Jones to his teammate Carson Kvapil sends the No. 88 sideways to start a massive crash that collects numerous #NASCARPlayoffs drivers.

Allgaier, Kligerman, Love, Allmendinger also sustain heavy damage.#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/J6PPdnAlfL

— NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) October 5, 2024

Before this wreck, Shane van Gisbergen and Dean Thompson brought out the caution. That is what set everything up for this final dash to the finish. Aric Almirola brought out the debris caution, and then we had a real race to the finish.

At least, we thought we would get to the finish. As the energy built it felt like a wreck was going to happen soon. And soon it did happen. With an ill-timed push from Brandon Jones to his JR Motorsports teammate, Carson Kvapil, the rest couldn’t be avoided.

When the field is three wide with a few laps to go, any wreck is going to cause massive damage to the field. This was no different.

Shane van Gisbergen gets in first big NASCAR wreck at Talladega

Disaster has struck! Shane van Gisbergen pulled out of line in the tri-oval, Dean Thompson was pushed around and then he went into the wall. This wreck is going to have big implications for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.

Austin Hill was involved in this wreck. Shane van Gisbergen is a playoff driver who was above the cutline prior to the wreck. Now, a lot is up in the air.

SVG was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A bad push to the 26 in the tri-oval sent this whole thing into motion. The 97 went back up the track and into traffic.

Shane van Gisbergen went from about 8 to 9 points above the cutline to now 20 points below. That could change up or down depending on how the rest of the race ends up going, but not an ideal situation.