A Lap 246 incident ended the days of multiple contenders in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway as a spinning Daniel Suárez collected Justin Haley, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson.
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Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, clipped Blaney exiting Turn 4 and bounced into Suárez, sending both drivers around. Blaney hit the wall and Suárez went for a slide down the frontstretch and into Larson, who was fresh back on the lead lap from a Lap 42 incident.
“It was three-wide and tight getting off the corner,” Blaney said. “I thought I was kind of high enough as I could go and it seems like, I don’t know if it was just a big squeeze, a couple of us bounced off each other, just tight off (Turn) 4. The first caution set us back, and then finally got close to the top 10, but now we’re gonna go home early. It’s one of those things.”
The crash put a disappointing end to Larson’s attempt at the “Double,” as the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver recorded DNFs in both Indianapolis and Charlotte.
Suárez, Larson and Blaney were credited with 36th, 37th, and 38th place finishes, respectively. All three were evaluated and released from the infield care center.
Justin Haley was able to make repairs to his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet and return to the track, finishing the 600-mile event in the 30th position.
IN-CAR: View of big wreck at Charlotte