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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe ‘big one’ struck Stage 2 during the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe ‘big one’ struck Stage 2 during the NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway.<\/p>\n
Early in Stage 2, race leader Bubba Wallace was being pushed into Turn 3 and spun off the nose of Ross Chastain and turned into the outside wall.<\/p>\n
That triggered a massive pile-up as cars took evasive action. The ensuing chaos scattered cars through the infield grass.<\/p>\n
Speaking after being released from the infield care centre, Wallace shouldered the blame for the crash.<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn,\u201d said the 23XI Racing driver.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing to show for in the first stage. Obviously just trying to figure out the strategy stuff. Man, just hate it for our team. Don\u2019t want to have any DNFs. We\u2019ve got two now.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a bummer. We\u2019ve got to figure out how to be pushed better. So I take responsibility for that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have a good debrief and figure out what we can do to make our Toyota a little bit better being pushed and not have that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Trackhouse Racing\u2019s Shane van Gisbergen was one of those damaged in the wreck. He reported being hit and potential damage to his toe link, which forced the team into repairs.<\/p>\n The race was red-flagged on Lap 115 with 73 laps to go.<\/p>\n More than half of the 40-car field copped varying degrees of damage, with the worst-off relegated to the pit lane to retire or repair their cars and go dozens of laps down.<\/p>\n Kyle Larson was one of those who was forced to retire his #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a big stack-up and I was just in the middle of it,\u201d said Larson.<\/p>\n \u201cJust another Talladega result for us, but we got ourselves back there.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was starting to get hairy there at the start of the stage, so I wasn\u2019t surprised to get wrapped up in that crash. It\u2019s just an unfortunate end to the day.\u201d<\/p>\n Team Penske\u2019s Ryan Blaney also retired his #12 Ford Mustang.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the wreck, I feel like we all got pin-balling off each other a little bit,\u201d said Blaney, who was immediately behind Wallace and Chastain.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom what I\u2019ve seen, we\u2019re all bumping and bumping, and they were unstable.<\/p>\n \u201cIt turned Bubba to the top and the outside lane was there and he got clipped. Just one of those things.<\/p>\n \u201cIt closed tight quick and we all got pin-balling, and we\u2019ve seen that so many times. You\u2019re trying to lift and check, and next thing you know, everybody wrecks.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunate. I hate that we were in the middle of it. I don\u2019t really know if there\u2019s anyone to blame, we all just started bouncing off each other.\u201d<\/p>\n Under yellow, van Gisbergen reported a vibration prompting more repairs.<\/p>\n When the race eventually resumed on Lap 122, SVG said his car felt okay and SMT data confirmed repairs to the car had been successful.<\/p>\n There were only 20 cars left on the lead lap when the race restarted.<\/p>\n For more of the latest NASCAR news and analysis, visit Speedcafe US<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/speedcafe.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/3-1.webp\")
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