NASCAR Cup Series

Wild start to Michigan race includes wreck involving Vickers

Published Jun. 15, 2014 1:56 p.m. ET

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Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway got off to a wild start with two wrecks in the first eight laps.

On the opening lap of the race, the field soared off into Turn 3 and the wind pushed many cars out of the groove, including Brian Vickers’ No. 55 Toyota. After a multiple attempts to save it, Vickers nosed the car into the outside wall before sliding back down the track.

While the majority of the field diving low to avoid Vickers' car, Travis Kvapil ran out of room and made heavy contact with the No. 55.

"I was going into Turn 3 and expecting to follow the 48 (Jimmie Johnson) in there and the 22 (Joey Logano) jumped inside of us and it just came around," Vickers said. "I mean I just lost it. I have no idea what happened or why. The car just got really loose into three and I chased it all the way up to the wall. I thought I had it saved and it just came all the way around."

The Michael Waltrip Racing team went to work making repairs in the garage, while Kvapil's day was ruined before he even completing a lap.

"I feel horrible," Kvapil said. "We started last and had plenty of time. I saw it and was getting slowed down and was creeping down by the grass. It was almost like a situation where I was going too slow, instead of just driving through the wreck. Once I got to the grass I couldn’t go any lower. The car wouldn't turn in the grass and he just kept coming down and it peeled the right-front off of it. The car is hurt pretty bad, so I feel bad for the Go Green Team. Bummer. Lap One. What a disappointing day."

The early action did not end there, however. On the ensuing restart on Lap 8, a number of drivers had issues exiting Turn 2.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s No. 17 Ford slid up into the outside wall on his own, while the No. 42 Chevrolet of Kyle Larson bobbled then spun on the backstretch. Spinning in the middle of the pack, Larson's car also collected Martin Truex Jr. As the field slowed to avoid Larson's car, Kasey Kahne's No. 5 Chevrolet was hit and also spun.

Each of the cars in the second caution of the day was able to make repairs and continue on.

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