There has been a major wreck involving 25 cars during Sunday’s weather-rescheduled Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway that has involved nearly half the field.
Racing against the possibility of more rain on the horizon, the field was heading into Turn 1 on Lap 98 when it appeared on TV replay that Greg Biffle’s Ford got into the rear of Kasey Kahne’s Chevrolet, spinning him and then hooking the Ford of Joey Logano, starting sheer mayhem.
From that point on, drivers begun flying all over the race track, with Kyle Busch winding up upside down in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Fortunately, the younger Busch brother was uninjured. His car was slowly righted onto its wheels and Busch climbed out, receiving a round of applause from the crowd.
According to NASCAR statisticians, the following cars were involved in the wreck:
Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, David Gilliland, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Josh Wise, Michael Annett, Ryan Truex, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Landon Cassill, Marcos Ambrose, Joey Logano, David Ragan, Denny Hamlin, Danica Patrick, Brad Keselowski, Terry Labonte, Reed Sorenson and Michael McDowell.
“I’m just so unhappy,” Biffle told TNT. “It was just close-quarters racing. Kasey went into the middle and ran into the back of the 13 car and slowed way up and I hit the back of the 5. We weren’t lined up. He moved down for some reason when he hit the 13 (Casey Mears) or something, but just a chain reaction.
“You just never know cars are going to slow down that quick. I had a shove from the 34 (David Ragan) from behind and you just can’t react that fast, unfortunately.”
“I knew there was going to be trouble there,” David Gilliland said. “I probably should have given myself more room. Cars were just sliding around all over. … What a mess. Not the day we were looking forward.”
Kahne noted, “I was just getting hit from behind. I was in a tough spot. … I’m not exactly sure what happened. It’s too bad.”
Kyle Busch said, “It just felt like a slow carnival ride. I guess that’s fitting for the Fourth of July, but not here for Daytona. … I just got T-boned at the end there and toppled me over.”
Jamie McMurray added, “It was a helpless feeling.”
The race resumed on Lap 104 with Aric Almirola in the lead, only to have the race go back under caution due to rain five laps later.
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