Kyle Busch won the first stage of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway, but he won’t have anymore opportunities to earn points.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s Daytona 500 ended much sooner than he would have liked when he suffered a right-rear tire failure on Lap 45 of Stage 2 causing his No. 18 Toyota to snap loose before slamming into the SAFER barrier. After hitting the wall, Busch’s car collected several of the other lead cars, including the No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr., the No. 20 of Matt Kenseth and No. 77 of Erik Jones.
Speaking to FOX after the accident, Busch didn’t mince words when discussing who was to blame for the accident.
“We didn’t do anything wrong,” Busch said. “I guess Goodyear tires just aren’t good at holding air.”
For Earnhardt Jr., who was making his return after missing much of last year with concussion issues, a car coming towards him was probably the last thing he wanted to see. His No. 88 wasn’t too badly damaged, however, and his team was able to repair it under red flag. Once the race restarts, he must maintain the required minimum speed in order to remain in the race.
Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images
