THAT’S A LOT OF DAMAGE.
Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, Chris Buescher and MORE INVOLVED. #NASCAR
? : USA Network pic.twitter.com/MUop6Dx8pt
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 19, 2024
Kyle Larson had led a race-high 41 laps through the opening 116 laps of Monday’s rain-delayed NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, but the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is done for the day after he lost control in Turn 4 at the 2-mile oval.
In a tight pack of cars, it looked like Larson suffered an aerodynamic imbalance as after diving his car deep into the Turn to make a pass on Bubba Wallace. The back end of Larson’s car came out from under him, and he spun out directly in front of Wallace’s No. 23 machine.
Wallace would try to avoid Larson but had nowhere to go as he made contact with Larson and the outside wall. Here is a look at the accident from the in-car cameras of Larson and Wallace:
There was just nowhere to go for @BubbaWallace. pic.twitter.com/POGk81VvSZ
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 19, 2024
Several others piled into the crash as well including Chase Briscoe, Todd Gilliland, Chris Buescher, Christopher Bell, and Joey Logano.
Gilliland and Logano had just been part of the most recent caution as they were two of the three cars that cut right rear tires on the exact same lap.
In addition to Larson being done for the day, the crash on Lap 116 spelled the end of the day for Logano, Bell, and Gilliland as well.
There are regular-season championship implications from the crash as Larson was the point leader heading into the day by five points over Tyler Reddick and six points over Chase Elliott. Barring a wild turn of events, Larson will not be the point leader with two races remaining in the regular season.
Buescher, and Wallace who suffered damage in the crash, are in the thick of a points battle for the final positions in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Grid with Ty Gibbs and Ross Chastain. Heading into Michigan, Wallace was three points above the cutline, and Buescher was the final man on the grid as he held a tiebreaker over Ross Chastain.
Gibbs, currently second, and Chastain, currently 19th, were not involved in the accident.
