LAS VEGAS – Before the NASCAR Cup Series field took to the 1.5-mile track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday (Oct. 20), there were eight playoff teams that were hopeful of scoring the jackpot with a win and a ticket into the Championship 4.
However, in a city that demands luck more than anything else when it comes to victory, there was anything but among half of the playoff contenders as three finished many laps down – one of them on his roof.
Perhaps none of them were snakebitten more by the Vegas snake eyes than race favorite and stage one winner Tyler Reddick.
The 23XI Racing driver was running fifth and attempting to charge his way back to the front when he became surrounded by fellow playoff driver Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. The three were three-wide while exiting turn 4 on lap 89 when Truex appeared to drift out of the inside lane and into Elliott. The Hendrick Motorsports driver, with nowhere to go, collided into Reddick and sandwiched him into the outside wall.
The results, while terrifying, ended a day that was going well for the No. 45 in spectacular fashion.
“I saw [Truex] and [Elliott] wiggle,” Reddick said outside of the medical care center. “When I realized I was in trouble, I was already outside. There was nowhere for me to hide at that point.”
The cause of the incident is debatable, but many fingers – and radios – pointed to Truex as the perpetrator.
But Truex disagrees.
“I didn’t know we were three-wide until it was too late,” Truex told Frontstretch post-race.” But I still felt like there was plenty of room, and [Elliott], I think, jumped out of the gas. Not really sure what happened.
“My spotter told me that I didn’t do anything wrong, so I’d have to go look at it.”
Frustration carried with Elliott, who attempted to carry on but lost too much speed from the damage. The team brought the Chevrolet to the garage and was able to continue albeit numerous laps down. He ended his day 33rd, 37 laps down.
The playoff victims don’t end there, either, as the incident also collected Ryan Blaney, whose hard hits started early in the weekend – literally.
Blaney was making his practice run during the series’ only session on Saturday (Oct. 19) afternoon when the car snapped loose due to a flat left-rear tire and sent…
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