With NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers racing each other — and Mother Nature — at Talladega Superspeedway, the "big one" erupted after Kyle Busch hooked the back end of Kasey Kahne’s car entering Turn 1 on Lap 43.
“I’m all right,” Busch said. “I caused it. . . . It’s hauler hurt. I can’t drive it back.”
Fourteen additional cars were involved in the incident, for a total of 16 cars. Included were those of Tony Stewart, Marcos Ambrose, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Brian Vickers, who relieved Denny Hamlin 18 laps earlier. Busch and Kahne were evaluated and released from the infield care center.
"I just saw them wrecking above me," Greg Biffle said. "I thought about going to the left. I had plenty of room and probably should have, but I didn’t. I just stayed straight and moved down all I could and it wasn’t enough. They got me in the right rear and turned me the wrong way up into the wall, a pretty hard hit, but that’s all you can do is hang on when stuff like that happens.”
Biffle is went to the garage and dropped to 39th place in the race.
Kahne said he was "all right" after he was released. But considering that the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy entered the weekend fifth in the point standings, Kahne will take a hit in the point standings with a 37th-place finish.
"I just kind of got shot through the center there, just a lot of momentum coming from behind," Kahne said. "Felt the No. 18 pushing me, and next thing I know I was spinning. You just can’t push with these cars. We learned that at Daytona.
"He was pushing me and spun me in the wall and then happened again, so that is what it is.”
Although Busch admitted he caused the wreck, Kahne didn't bother to speak with his fellow driver.
"I think we both probably understand what happened, and we will figure it out from there,” Kahne said.
