With the stages flipped to try and stop the teams from running a fuel-save-dominated race, drivers were racing four-wide in the middle of the 45-lap second stage when a bad push at the front led to a complete junkyard of Cup cars in Sunday's Jack Link 500 at Talladega. The crash happened on lap 115, with the red flag coming out on 116 to clear the wrecked cars from the track.
Among those unable to continue were Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Cole Custer, and Joey Logano.
Bubba Wallace was leading the middle lane when a push from Ross Chastain got him loose, turning him into the field. Only four cars escaped through the front of the field, and one was Michael McDowell, who was running far enough behind to not be involved.
Chastain moves from the bottom lane to the middle lane, and Wallace moves up to block. Wallace's No. 23 Toyota Camry was having trouble being pushed throughout the first stage.
THE (very) BIG ONE. Talladega is currently a parking lot. 👀 https://t.co/rOucy6A4kP pic.twitter.com/uvDIwrLGVl
"It's a bummer, but we've got to figure out how to be pushed better," Wallace said after being cleared by the infield care center. "So I take responsibility for that, and we'll have a good debrief and figure out what we can do to make our Toyotas a little bit better, being pushed, and maybe not have that happen."
With at least 26 cars involved, this wreck nearly matches the Fall 2024 Yellawood 500 Talladega race that set the new record for the biggest "Big One" in the history of the track, with 28 cars involved. If more cars get included in the wreck damage as teams continue to communicate, it could pass it.
The No. 23 camp made a bold decision in the first stage to short pit at the end of the stage with four laps to go, giving him four fresh tires and losing the chance of stage points. With new tires, Wallace was able to pit for fuel only and get to the front, passing 22 cars on pit road.
Instead of this move putting the car in the safe zone, away from the chaos of the mid-pack running four-wide. Wallace becomes the domino in the 'Very Big One'.
Christoper Bell and Chastain restarted on the front row with the RFK cars of Buescher and Preece behind. The race restarted with just 16 cars on the lead lap.
A few laps into the restart, Ty Gibbs blew a tire and went up the track, slamming into the wall and taking out Michael McDowell on the way.