The big one has struck early in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500. Aric Almirola got a bump draft from behind from Christopher Bell. The shot sent Almirola’s car up the track on the backstretch and sent him into Alex Bowman. Bowman and Almirola, who were running second and third at the time, went around and collected a mountain of scrap metal behind them.
In all, 16 cars were swept up in the lap 14 crash.
Here is the accident as it happened live on FOX:
THE (really) BIG ONE! Wow.#DAYTONA500 | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/YdlQPeWaVg
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 14, 2021
And here is a video breakdown of what all happened:
Here's what happened: https://t.co/HdDx1jMVpT pic.twitter.com/hJ64E372x0
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 14, 2021
The drivers who were collected in this accident were: Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones, Jamie McMurray, Alex Bowman, Matt DiBenedetto, Tyler Reddick, Aric Almirola, Chris Buescher, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Ryan Newman, Christopher Bell, Kurt Busch, David Ragan, Anthony Alfredo and Daniel Suarez.
After the crash unfolded, a strike of lightning within a few miles of the Daytona International Speedway caused the race to be halted.