DOVER, Del. (AP) — The first NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway got off to a fiery start Sunday with a Lap 2 crash that involved three former winners.
The wreck was triggered by Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver Ryan Preece, who came down the banking in Turn 1 and made contact with Todd Gilliland.
Defending Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, a three-time All-Star Race winner, hit the wall in his No. 5 Chevrolet after colliding with Gilliland’s No. 34 Ford. The pileup also included past All-Star Race winners and series champions Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott, as well as Daniel Suarez, John Hunter Nemechek and Michael McDowell.
Preece’s No. 60 Ford made a heavy impact with the outside wall, causing the rear end to explode in flames. Preece climbed out unscathed and was quickly seen and released from the track’s infield care center.
“I’m fine, I seem to take big hits,” said Preece, who was involved in a memorable rollover in the August 2023 race at Daytona. “I don’t know what happened. But if it was anything, it was probably just too close on my part to go into Turn 1 and just got sideways. So if it was my fault, I’m sorry.”
The crash came just after the green flag in the first of two 75-lap segments with 36 cars. The field will be narrowed to 26 for the final 200-lap segment on the 1-mile oval.
Blaney, Elliott and Larson are among 19 drivers locked into the last segment, but they aren’t allowed to use a backup car. Elliott’s No. 9 Chevy had minor damage, but it was unclear if the cars of Blaney and Larson would be repairable.
“I don’t know if we can get it fixed or not, but you never know,” Blaney said. “I see my guys bringing some bumpers out and stuff, so maybe we’ll be able to get in the last segment.”
The Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the season, will take place May 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ross Chastain is the defending race winner (and is seeking his first victory since then).
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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