CHAOS ON THE OPENING LAP!
RYAN BLANEY, DENNY HAMLIN, CHRISTOPHER BELL AND MORE INVOLVED!
? : USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/IYwxHspKpt
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 15, 2024
Well, what a turn of events. On a day at Watkins Glen, which started with so much hope and enthusiasm for the 16 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff contenders, three of them ran into trouble in the bus stop on the opening lap of the 90-lap event.
Heading through the bus stop, Kyle Busch received a tap from Corey LaJoie, which caused the multi-car melee to ensue.
As Busch spun off of the front bumper of LaJoie, he skidded into the side of Playoff contender Christopher Bell’s car, which sent Bell spinning out. As Busch continued to spin, Denny Hamlin plowed hard into the rear of Busch’s spinning car, which caused significant damage to his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
Hamlin came into the day two points above the Playoff cutline.
Also involved was Playoff contender Ryan Blaney, who made contact with Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 RFK Racing Ford while trying to miss the crash. Somehow, Blaney’s car suffered a broken steering column, and he was unable to drive away from the scene of the crash. As a result, Blaney’s race is over, and he will finish dead-last.
What a disastrous start to the race for three big hitters in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
