A major crash sidelined the efforts of several top contenders on Sunday at Bristol, costing them a shot at the win.
The race was even more harsh for Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney, who watched their Chase hopes take another hit. Chris Buescher, though, made up much-needed ground as he attempts to make the 16-driver, championship-determining field.
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The major trouble came on Lap 373, when several cars piled up after Kurt Busch’s car got loose and turned sideways, then was hit by Brad Keselowski. As drivers slowed, the pileup continued as Chase Elliott, Matt Kenseth, Austin Dillon, Joey Logano, Paul Menard, Jimmie Johnson, Brian Scott, Larson and Blaney were also involved.
After the accident, Busch took blame for driving too aggressively.
“I think I just missed the bottom groove by a few inches, got loose and the wreck was on,” Busch said after a visit to the track care center. “The way that our car was restarting it felt comfortable, it felt good. That inside with the rosin and the VHT, if you don’t hit it exactly right you lose a lot of time.
“I tried to make up for it and got loose. I feel really bad for the (team). We had a win in our sights and I just drove the car at 101 percent instead of that 99.”
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Keselowski said he couldn’t see anything until it was too late.
“Once he got sideways we were already all kind of digging, and I never saw him until I was in his door,” Keselowski said. “It was a heavy hit. I hope Kurt’s all right. I guess maybe I hit him more in the left-rear than the door, but it’s a shame.”
Kenseth, though, was not pleased with the pair of rookies that didn’t slow when he did.
“I didn’t really see what happened except for there was cars wrecking up there and I slowed down as much as the guy in front of me,” he said. “I couldn’t slow down any less than that or I would hit him. Chase burst out of nowhere, ran me over and (the) 21 (of Blaney) came through there wide open — I still don’t know if he’s lifted yet or not — and finished us off. As the wreck happened, you’ve got to slow down. Just not much I could do.”
Busch and Keselowski, though, are already going to make the field for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
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Larson and Blaney don’t have that luxury.
For Larson, Sunday must have been an exercise in frustration as he kept finding himself in the eye of the storm when others lost control. For Blaney, his Chase took a hit after being in the major multicar crash.
Larson was involved in a crash with Logano and Kurt Busch on Lap 309 in Turn 4. On Lap 359, he was hit when Kyle Busch spun, then was hit by Justin Allgaier, whose car went up the track and into that of Martin Truex Jr., who was hit by Larson, who had nowhere to go. And then came the major crash.
Larson entered the weekend 15th in the standings, 30 points behind Jamie McMurray and eight in front of Trevor Bayne. Blaney was 18th, 18 points behind Larson, after a stretch of setbacks. He has nine consecutive finishes outside of the top 10.
Larson finished 24th and Blaney was 35th. Larson is 16th in the standings, 39 points outside of the Chase. Blaney is 20th and 68 points outside of the Chase field.
Buescher, meanwhile, moved into the top 30 in points with his fifth-place finish. He entered the race three points outside of the field and is 13 points ahead of David Ragan, in 31st. He won at Pocono, and if he remains in the top 30 after Richmond he will make the Chase.
"I had a blast out there," Buescher said. "I love this racetrack, love to get to come out here and be competitive."