Well… Talladega Superspeedway is now two-for-two this weekend when it comes to an early race multi-car accident having a drastic impact on the landscape of the semi-final round of the NASCAR Playoffs.
In Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 250 at Talladega, three playoff-eligible drivers have sustained major damage after an accident on Lap 15, which collected at least 10 drivers — including several heavy-hitters.
BIG crash early with Playoff drivers @sheldoncreed, @sam_mayer_ and @BrandonJonesRac among 10 cars taking damage. pic.twitter.com/A97TsOIPt2
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) October 18, 2025
The accident started in the tri-oval when Sheldon Creed, piloting the No. 00 Road Ranger Ford Mustang, checked up on the inside line, causing Jeb Burton to dart to the middle lane and make contact with Brandon Jones, turning the No. 20 Menards Toyota GR Supra.
With Jones, Creed, and Burton all running inside the top-10 at the time of the incident, the accident happened in front of the majority of the pack, making it hard for some drivers to avoid the incident behind and collected several others.
Sam Mayer, driver of the No. 41 Audibel Ford Mustang Dark Horse, also sustained a major amount of damage in the incident, as did Ryan Sieg, Harrison Burton, Brenden Queen, Jeremy Clements, Anthony Alfredo, and Jordan Anderson, amongst others.
Creed’s No. 00 Ford Mustang Dark Horse was… butchered, for lack of a better term, and forced the Haas Factory Team driver to retire from Saturday’s event, along with Queen, Clements, and Sieg, Anderson, and Alfredo. Sam Mayer eventually brought his No. 41 back to the garage, despite an attempt to try and get back out.
Both HFT cars are done for the day at Talladega. pic.twitter.com/Dv0Y2Rcxkt
— Haas Factory Team (@HaasFactoryTeam) October 18, 2025
Brandon Jones, Anthony Alfredo, Jeb Burton, Sam Mayer, and Jordan Anderson all made repairs to their vehicles and returned to the racetrack in an attempt to gain more spots as attrition flares up throughout the event.
Entering Talladega, Mayer, Jones, and Creed find themselves directly in the thick of the bubble battle to advance to the Championship 4 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with Mayer above the cutline by eight markers over Brandon Jones, and 21 points over Sheldon Creed.
JR Motorsports teammates Carson Kvapil and Sammy Smith, who managed to escape the incident early in the race, are now setting their sights on gaining some points on the wounded cars that are ahead of them in the point standings.
“I just saw the No. 20 [Brandon Jones] sideways, and then I was just along for the ride, and I just thought I was through, and the No. 00 [Sheldon Creed] just came right up in front of me,” said Ryan Sieg, driver of the No. 39 Ford Mustang for RSS Racing. “I didn’t even have time to brace; those are always a little bit harder when you don’t know it’s coming.”
