Cup Series Chaos at EchoPark Speedway: Multicar Wreck Claims Contenders
In a dramatic turn of events during the second stage at EchoPark Speedway, 20 drivers were involved in a significant multicar wreck, described by Joey Logano as a "superspeedway wreck." Logano, who led 51 of the first 60 laps from the pole, was caught in the incident along with several frontrunners, dramatically narrowing the pool of Cup Series contenders.
The accident was triggered by an accordion effect as the front of the pack began to check up for a run. “It could have been a bad push,” Logano remarked, reflecting on the timing and nature of the crash. “It’s unfortunate. Sometimes you’re the ball and sometimes you’re the bat. Today we were the ball.”
Among those listed as involved were Logano, Ross Chastain, Ryan Preece, William Byron, Daniel Suarez, Carson Hocevar, Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Corey LaJoie, Denny Hamlin, Cody Ware, Brad Keselowski, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Austin Cindric, and Josh Berry. Notably, Erik Jones, B.J. McLeod, Kyle Busch, and Alex Bowman were also part of the fray but managed to avoid major damage.
“I have no idea really what happened,” Berry commented. “It looked like they were just pushing each other hard for eighth, 10th, 12th and got squirrely. It’s disappointing getting taken out with this many laps left.”
Austin Cindric, who won the first stage, was among the eight drivers forced to retire due to the wreck. He noted, “A lot of cars wrecking in the middle of the straightaway… maybe just a push gone wrong. It’s a shame. We had a super-fast Quaker State/Menards Ford Mustang."
The incident not only impacted the race outcome but also underscored the risks drivers face on track, emphasizing the fine line between aggressive racing and costly misjudgments. As the Cup Series continues, the ramifications of this wreck will likely affect team strategies moving forward.
