Waltrip's bid for third 500 win ends on roof

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- "The Big One" shot down several of the Daytona 500's biggest guns Sunday, as the multi-car melee eliminated the likes of Michael Waltrip, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman from contention 29 laps before the race's halfway point.

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The accident began as Johnny Sauter, Brian Vickers and Waltrip ran three-wide exiting Turn 2 on lap 71. Sauter got a bit loose entering the back straightway and slid up the track into Vickers, who then slid up into defending Daytona 500 champion Waltrip.

Waltrip slammed the outside retaining wall, slid across the track, flipped several times and ended up on his roof in the infield grass, the chassis of his Chevrolet completely devoid of sheet metal.

NASCAR impounded the mangled No. 15 car, which was cut and chopped by safety crews following the incident.

Following an examination and release from the infield care center, Waltrip, covered in infield sod, was quite critical of the extraction procedure.

	Waltrip and Robby Gordon make contact during the melee. Credit: AP

"When the car stopped, I was pinned way bad," Waltrip said. "I felt like I was in a box and I couldn't get out. I didn't appreciate the way the safety crews were going about it and I was trying to tell them just to turn the car over.

"I'd already flipped 10 times or five times or two times -- I don't know how many times. All they had to do was flip it back over and I could get out. The were cutting bars.

"The whole car was on top of me. I don know what bar they thought they were going to cut that would have alleviated the hole I was in."

VIDEO CLIPS Waltrip walks away from a spectacular wreck Play video Ride with Waltrip as he flips on the infield grass Play video Wallace, Schrader and Green tangle early Play video Green flag Play video President Bush gives the command to start the engines Play video

Overall, 12 cars were involved in the wreck, including John Andretti, Kevin Lepage, Terry Labonte, Scott Riggs, Newman, Waltrip, Vickers, Sauter, Robby Gordon, Sterling Marlin, McMurray and Kenny Schrader.

McMurray, who had one of the fastest cars in the field throughout Speedweeks, joined Newman as the only two casualties to return to the event.

Through a spokesman, McMurray declined comment.

Vickers, a Nextel Cup Series rookie, started 35th, but was running solidly in the top 10 when the accident occurred.

"The 30 looked like he got loose, from what I could see," said Vickers, the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series champion. "I was beside him. He slid into us, we got into the 15 and it kind of went from there. It was a racing accident. It wasn't intentional.

"It was kind of like a roller coaster. I'm glad everybody's okay. I'm looking forward to going to Rockingham. We started the year out last year just like this, and ended up winning the championship, so hopefully we can have a comeback like we did last year."

Bud pole winner Greg Biffle was nearly caught up in the mess, but made an amazing save, slamming the brakes on the National Guard Ford until he found a hole to sneak though.

Despite his frustration, Waltrip can take some solace from the accident.

"My brother told me the other day that all the great ones have flipped at Daytona, so I guess I'm one of them now," Waltrip said.