Daytona 500 crash: Watch Justin Allgaier cause big wreck that collected 20 cars in 2026 NASCAR season-opener originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As great as the Daytona 500 is, given how the track is designed and run, and how it’s the opening race of the year, there is usually a big crash or two.
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That was the case on lap 124 of the 2026 Daytona 500. 40 cars were still running the race when a wreck caught up to 20 of them, leaving half the field affected.
The caution flag, of course, came out, but with the weather a possible concern for the end of the race, this massive wreck could be what analysts point to after the fact as something that had a huge impact on the outcome of this race.
Here is more on the 20-car wreck during the 2026 Daytona 500.
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Daytona 500 crash
Justin Allgaier attempted to stop Denny Hamlin from passing him, but the block was admittedly late and a little lazy. The result was that he, Hamlin and 18 other cars were sent spiraling.
There are always winners and losers when it comes to wrecks. Bubba Wallace was running in second at the time of the crash, and he was able to avoid it and came out of it in first place.
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With cars going every which way, several rows of drivers were caught up in the carnage as they tried to weave through it.
The wreck came on lap 124, near the end of the second stage. Wallace held on to win the second stage of the race, albeit under caution. Zane Smith won the first stage, but Smith finished 15th in the second stage.
