Another day, another 'Big One'

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- For the second day in a row, a multiple-car pileup greatly changed the complexion of a race at the 2.66-mile track.

After 166 clean and green laps Sunday, the “big one” reared its ugly head in Aaron's 499.

As the field exited Turn 2 with 22 laps remaining, Tony Stewart made a move to the outside. According to Matt Kenseth, Mike Wallace moved up the track and pushed Stewart into the outside wall, triggering a 24-car pileup similar to yesterday’s 27-car accident in the Aaron’s 312 Busch Series race.

“Me and Tony were running outside,” Kenseth said. “Tony got outside the 33 and he ran him right in the wall like he wasn’t even there. I couldn’t turn to the bottom so I just started slowing down. You do that, you get ran over.”

Wallace said he didn’t know what happened.

“I really couldn’t see what happened,” Wallace said. “I was trying to go in a hole.”

Among those involved in the crash were Bobby Labonte, John Andretti, Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Elliott Sadler, Mark Martin, Steve Park, Kenseth, Dave Blaney, Jeremy Mayfield, Robby Gordon, Jimmy Spencer, Steve Grissom, Mike Wallace, Ricky Rudd, Rusty Wallace, Mike Skinner, Casey Atwood, Bill Elliott, Johnny Benson, Bobby Hamilton, Geoffrey Bodine and Terry Labonte.

“I don’t know whose fault it was,” Bobby Labonte said. “Nobody really. We’re just all here and all racing hard. When something like that happens, everybody’s so close, it gets big.”

There were no serious injuries, although Johnny Benson was treated for exposure to fire retardant after his car caught fire while rolling down pit road.