Paul Menard triggers huge fiery 18-car crash at NASCAR Daytona 500
NASCAR driver Paul Menard triggers huge fiery crash involving 18 cars at Daytona 500 as he tries to pass Matt DiBenedetto with just 10 laps to go
- A massive crash took out almost half of the cars racing in Sunday’s Daytona 500
- Paul Menard started the pileup by attempting a ‘bump and run’ around Matt DiBenedetto in which Menard tipped the rear passenger side wheel on 95 car
- DiBenedetto then spun out, taking out all 17 cars in his path with just 10 laps left
- Menard took responsibility for the massive crash in which no one was injured
Nearly half of the cars running in the 61st NASCAR Daytona 500 saw an abrupt, fiery end to their first place dreams in Florida on Sunday.
A massive crash took out 18 out of the 40 cars in the lineup, with just 10 laps to go in the 500-mile contest at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach.
Paul Menard started the pileup by attempting a ‘bump and run’ around Matt DiBenedetto, in which Menard tipped the rear passenger side wheel on DiBenedetto’s number 95 car and set the massive collision in motion.
‘I’ll take the blame for that one,’ Menard said, regarding the large-scale wreck in which no one was injured.
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A total of 18 out of the 40 cars running in the 61st NASCAR Daytona 500 saw an abrupt, fiery end to their first place dreams in Florida on Sunday with just 10 laps to go in the race
Any wreck that involves five or more cars is called ‘The Big One,’ in NASCAR vernacular, and this one more than qualified.
Aerial video shows the moments leading up to the crash, with Menard’s number 21 Ford Mustang pressed right up against the rear bumper of DiBenedetto’s car.
He’s attempting a move called a ‘bump and run’ or a ‘bump drive,’ according to Fox NASCAR announcers, which goes terribly wrong for everyone involved.
The crash occurred when Paul Menard (left) driving the 21 car caused Matt DiBenedetto (right) driving the 95 car to spin out while trying to pass him. Menard was attempting a move called a ‘bump and run’ or a ‘bump drive,’ which goes terribly wrong for everyone involved
Aerial video shows the moments leading up to the crash, with Menard’s number 21 Ford Mustang pressed right up against the rear bumper of DiBenedetto’s car
In a ‘bump and run,’ the driver tailing a leading car taps the back of the leading car in hopes of gaining the advantage and passing into the leader position, themself. It’s controversial, but also common. Scene of the wreck on Sunday is pictured
In a ‘bump and run,’ the driver tailing a leading car taps the back of the leading car in hopes of gaining the advantage and passing into the leader position, themself.
An announcer for Fox Nascar described the action, saying ‘Paul Menard giving a pretty nice push down the back straight-away to DiBenedetto, get to his right rear. That just starts to turn him a little bit.’
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‘Yep, got him in the right rear,’ another announcer said.
A third voice added: ‘And then he collects Menard. Logano just misses it but the whole outside lane and half the inside pile up.’
As DiBenedetto lost control between the third and fourth turns with just 10 laps to go, he took out everyone in his path, including Menard and defending champion Austin Dillon
The entire outside lane and half of the inside lane were taken out in the fiery crash
The ‘bump and run’ is controversial but common, with an entire page on the NASCAR website devoted to ‘NASCAR’s most memorable bump-and-run moments.’
The move often results in mixed reactions from NASCAR fans, with some saying whatever it takes to win is perfectly fine.
Others say that if you can’t pass someone by being fast, you don’t deserve a trophy, and especially not if a wreck results from purposefully making contact with another driver’s car.
The first announcer explained what was likely going through Menard’s mind when he chose to make contact with the 95 car.
An announcer said: ‘At this stage in the race you can start to taste victory in the Daytona 500. You want to see that checkered flag and you’ll do anything to get it, and you know you’ve gotta be more aggressive with those bump drives’
The move often results in mixed reactions from NASCAR fans, with some saying whatever it takes to win is perfectly fine. Others say that if you can’t pass someone by being fast, you don’t deserve a trophy, and especially not if a wreck results from purposefully making contact with another driver’s car. The melee from the midst of the collision is shown
‘At this stage in the race you can start to taste victory in the Daytona 500,’ he said.
‘You want to see that checkered flag and you’ll do anything to get it, and you know you’ve gotta be more aggressive with those bump drives.’
Menard basically acknowledged that line of thinking, telling Fox, ‘It was go time, and I was pushing the 95 [car] and it looked like he was trying to get to the middle and I started trying to get to the outside and just barely hooked him. Yeah, that was my bad. I wrecked a lot of cars. I feel bad about that.’
Some NASCAR fans say whatever it takes to win is perfectly fine, and others say that if you can’t pass someone by being fast, you don’t deserve a trophy, and especially not if a wreck results from purposefully making contact with another driver’s car
Menard (pictured) told Fox, ‘It was go time, and I was pushing the 95 [car] and it looked like he was trying to get to the middle and I started trying to get to the outside and just barely hooked him. Yeah, that was my bad. I wrecked a lot of cars. I feel bad about that’
As DiBenedetto spiraled out of control between the third and fourth turns, he took out every vehicle in his path.
Among those who had their race ended early were defending Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (#3), Chase Elliott (#9), Ryan Blaney (#12), Aric Almirola (#10) and Daniel Suarez (#41).
The race was paused while the wreckage was cleaned up.
Denny Hamlin, driving the number 11 car, went on to win the race.
Denny Hamlin (shown) driving the 11 car went on to win the race, after a pause for cleanup
2019 Daytona 500 starting lineup
Drivers are listed below by position from the starting line, not car number.
1. William Byron
2. Alex Bowman
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Joey Logano
5. Rickey Stenhouse Jr.
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Paul Menard
8. Aric Almirola
9. Matt DiBenedetto
10. Denny Hamlin
11. Martin Truex Jr.
12. Kurt Busch
13. Bubba Wallace
14. Ryan Blaney
15. Chris Buescher
16. Jamie McMurray
17. Jimmie Johnson
18. Chase Elliott
19. Ryan Newman
20. Austin Dillon
21. Ryan Preece
22. Ty Dillon
23. Daniel Suarez
24. David Ragan
25. Parker Kligerman
26. Kyle Larson
27. Landon Cassill
28. Erik Jones
29. Daniel Hermic
30. Brendan Gaughan
31. Kyle Busch
32. Corey LaJoie
33. Matt Tifft
34. Michael McDowell
35. Brad Keselowski
36. Ross Chastain
37. Cody Ware
38. BJ McLeod
39. Tyler Reddick
40. Casey Mears
Source: CBS Sports
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