13-car crash at Daytona ruins night for several Chase contenders
Penske Racing's David Stremme (12) spins across the track as others try to slip by in Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
// David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A 13-car crash in Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway could shake up the battle for positions to be in the Chase For The Sprint Cup.
Of the 13 drivers involved in the accident, three were ranked 13th through 15th in the Cup standings, just outside the top 12 that will make up the Chase in another eight races.
The crash started on lap 77 when Penske Racing’s David Stremme was bump-drafted by Richard Petty Motorsports’ Kasey Kahne, sending Stremme sideways and into the car of Roush Fenway Racing’s Jamie McMurray. By the time the smoked cleared, 10 more cars were involved.
Kahne came into the race 13th in the standings, one point behind 12th-place Juan Pablo Montoya of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Also involved in the wreck were 14th-place David Reutimann of Michael Waltrip Racing and 15th-place Clint Bowyer of Richard Childress Racing.
Kahne was able to continue with damage, as was Reutimann. But Reutimann was later involved in another accident that put him many laps down. Bowyer limped home two laps down.
Other drivers involved were Brad Keselowski (Phoenix Racing), Ryan Newman (Stewart-Haas Racing), Reed Sorenson (RPM), Michael Waltrip (Michael Waltrip Racing), David Gilliland (TRG Motorsports), Brian Vickers (Red Bull Racing) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Hendrick Motorsports).
“A couple of guys got together, and I just tried to stay high and the No. 00 [of Reutimann] was crossed up, and we got together with him pretty hard and tore the upper A-frame off the chassis,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “So the car is tore up too bad to get back out there. But we just got it driving good, and just freed it up enough to where it could go up through there and we was just trying to get around them. Everybody was in the way at that point and we were just picking them off one at a time.”
