Kyle Busch was involved in an accident with 40 laps to go at Pocono Raceway. The collision was apparently initiated by Corey Lajoie and resulted in a multi-vehicle wreck. During a restart on the final stage of the Great American Getaway 400, Lajoie and Busch collided with each other across most of the NASCAR grid. The No. 7 Chevrolet made contact with the rear of the No. 8 Chevrolet, sending the No. 8 Chevrolet off the track. However, he slid back onto the track and collided directly with Ryan Preece, ending his race. Other drivers affected by the incident include AJ Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Here is a video released by NASCAR shortly after the incident:
Here is an onboard clip from the #7 Chevrolet driven by Corey LaJoie.
Kyle Busch didn’t start the race in a very good position, but it was crucial for him to finish as his playoff chances dwindled. With five rounds of racing left at Pocono, the top 16 drivers will be looking for good results to solidify their status.
Kyle Busch’s playoff chances diminish further after Pocono crash
It was clear that the No. 8 Chevrolet would not be able to continue the race. Although this is just one race, this could be a big disappointment for Busch, who is struggling to make the playoffs.
The 39-year-old Busch is currently experiencing the worst season of his 20-year career. Aside from six top-10 finishes, Busch had five DNFs, including at Pocono, dropping him out of contention in most races. He has qualified for the playoffs every season since 2006, but at this point it’s difficult to say if he will make it. Busch currently sits 19th in the playoff standings, 98 points behind 16th-place Christo Buescher, with five races to close the gap, but it’s hard to assess whether he can do it given his performance this season.
Apparently he was having issues with his Chevrolet, as he previously revealed to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass. “I had an issue with the bearing at the bottom of the firewall, so they (RCR) fixed it,” he said. “The steering felt normal, but (the rest of the car) just didn’t feel very good,” he added.
