Nearly half of the cars running in the 61st NASCAR Daytona 500 saw an abrupt, fiery end to their first place dreams in Florida on Sunday.
A massive crash took out 18 out of the 40 cars in the lineup, with just 10 laps to go in the 500-mile contest at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach.
Paul Menard started the pileup by attempting a 'bump and run' around Matt DiBenedetto, in which Menard tipped the rear passenger side wheel on DiBenedetto's number 95 car and set the massive collision in motion.
'I’ll take the blame for that one,' Menard said, regarding the large-scale wreck in which no one was injured.
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A total of 18 out of the 40 cars running in the 61st NASCAR Daytona 500 saw an abrupt, fiery end to their first place dreams in Florida on Sunday with just 10 laps to go in the race
Any wreck that involves five or more cars is called 'The Big One,' in NASCAR vernacular, and this one more than qualified.
Aerial video shows the moments leading up to the crash, with Menard's number 21 Ford Mustang pressed right up against the rear bumper of DiBenedetto's car.
He's attempting a move called a 'bump and run' or a 'bump drive,' according to Fox NASCAR announcers, which goes terribly wrong for everyone involved.
The crash occurred when Paul Menard (left) driving the 21 car caused Matt DiBenedetto (right) driving the 95 car to spin out while trying to pass him. Menard was attempting a move called a 'bump and run' or a 'bump drive,' which goes terribly wrong for everyone involved
Aerial video shows the moments leading up to the crash, with Menard's number 21 Ford Mustang pressed right up against the rear bumper of DiBenedetto's car
In a 'bump and run,' the driver tailing a leading car taps the back of the leading car in hopes of gaining the advantage and passing into the leader position, themself. It's controversial, but also common. Scene of the wreck on Sunday is pictured
In a 'bump and run,' the driver tailing a leading car taps the back of the leading car in hopes of gaining the advantage and passing into the leader position, themself.
An announcer for Fox Nascar described the action, saying 'Paul Menard giving a pretty nice push down the back straight-away to DiBenedetto, get to his right rear. That just starts to turn him a little bit.'
'Yep, got him in the right rear,' another announcer said.
A third voice added: 'And then he collects Menard. Logano just misses it but the whole outside lane and half the inside pile up.'
As DiBenedetto lost control between the third and fourth turns with just 10 laps to go, he took out everyone in his path, including Menard and defending champion Austin Dillon
The entire outside lane and half of the inside lane were taken out in the fiery crash
The 'bump and run' is controversial but common, with an entire page on the NASCAR website devoted to 'NASCAR's most memorable bump-and-run moments.'
The move
