‘Big One’ strikes field in Stage 2 at Talladega; eight Chase drivers involved

The "Big One" occurred during the waning circuits of Stage 2 in the YellaWood 500 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, bringing huge ramifications across the postseason field. Battling three-wide in the backstretch, Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford, checked up and transitioned from the middle lane to the high lane, with Chase Elliott behind him. The ensuing lane movement created a misalignment, with Blaney making contact with Bubba Wallace and creating a domino effect as a result. RELATED: Live leaderboard | At-track photos: Talladega Eight drivers in The Chase presented by Mobil were involved: Blaney, Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, Ty Gibbs, Daniel Suárez and Ryan Preece. Denny Hamlin, also a Chaser, additionally received front-end damage. Non-Chase drivers involved in the incident included: Ross Chastain, Noah Gragson, John Hunter Nemechek and Gray Gaulding. Twelve total cars were involved in the wreck. The wreck sends shockwaves across The Chase field, with Hamlin, Blaney and Reddick all entering Sunday's Talladega race inside the top seven in the championship table. Just two postseason races remain following Talladega, with Martinsville Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 1 and 8, respectively. This story will be updated.