Matt Kenseth's run of bad luck just won't stop.
On Sunday, Kenseth had what is quickly becoming a typical NASCAR Sprint Cup race this season. He worked his way to the front of the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He was among the leaders inside of 50 laps to go. And then disaster struck.
MORE: Kobalt 400 action | Wind, weather make for unique Vegas race
Kenseth had restarted fifth just a few laps earlier but lost control when he was running inside of the car of Martin Truex Jr. when Ryan Blaney slid down the track and behind him.
Big trouble at @LVMotorSpeedway ! #NASCARonFOX https://t.co/VIVaL4YkLo
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) March 6, 2016
Kenseth drifted toward the outside wall, where he was rear-ended by Chase Elliott. As Elliott's car ricocheted across the track after the hard hit, the rookie was hit by the spinning car of Carl Edwards, who had been tagged by pole sitter Kurt Busch. His car slid past the action, smoke pouring from the tires.
Kenseth went straight to the garage for repairs as Elliott's car was towed from the track.
Brad Keselowski passed Kenseth teammate Kyle Busch with five laps to go to win on Sunday. With few accidents and a flock of cars still running, Kenseth would finish 37 in a field of 39.
It was just the latest in a series of incidents for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.
Kenseth was leading the season-opening Daytona 500 on the final lap, but was passed by teammate Denny Hamlin, drifting back and finishing 14th. At Atlanta, he was again enjoying a strong race, having led 47 laps before he was assessed a pit-road penalty, then lost a second lap when he did not serve the penalty and was black-flagged.
"I really don't know," Kenseth, who led 10 laps, said on the Fox broadcast. "I know the end result, but I was just going off into Turn 1, I thought Martin was leaving me plenty of room but I just turned up in there and spun out before I really honestly knew what happened. I don't know why I spun out but I spun out just trying to save the car the best I could here and just got hit from behind real hard and just ended up wrecking us. I thought I had it straightened out but it's hard for those guys behind you to slow up."
As for his part, Elliott was critical of his own effort. The rookie has also finished only one race this season.
"I'm just disappointed … Just a terrible job on my behalf, man, pitiful to run three races and finish one," he said on the broadcast, though it should be noted he was technically running at the finish of the Daytona 500 after crashing in it. "Just a bad job on my end. I ought to know better to miss a wreck like that."
Asked what he could have done differently, he was succinct.
"Got off the brake and missed it," he said.