Multi-Car Incident Ends Wallace’s Afternoon Early in Daytona

Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 6 Leidos Ford Mustang, was collected in a multi-car incident just shy of the completion of the first stage in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR XFINITY Series event at Daytona International Speedway, ending the Roush Fenway Racing driver’s afternoon prematurely.

“It was just unfortunate circumstances that got us collected there,” said Wallace. “We were pressing hard in our Leidos Mustang trying to make some ground up and trying to see who we could work with and watch out for guys that were racing hard, but we just couldn’t escape this one. But we’ll go on to Atlanta.  We’ll get us a couple stage wins and a couple race wins this year and we’ll be back.”

Wallace took the green flag for the 2017 season opener from the 12th position after advancing to the second round of knockout qualifying on Saturday morning. Right from the beginning, Wallace wasted little time charging forward, racing into the top five and up to as high as fourth before a Lap 3 caution. After taking the ensuing restart from third, Wallace found himself shuffled to the outside of several rows of three-wide racing and fell back to 18th.

Despite getting shuffled the driver of the Leidos Mustang continued to fight and drafted back into the top 10 before the first multi-car incident of the afternoon occurred on Lap 22. After a lengthy red flag, Wallace took the Lap 27 restart from the ninth position and immediately made a move to the outside line to try to make it back toward the front.

Unfortunately, the drive toward the front was halted as a multi-car incident occurred in front of Wallace, severely damaging the Leidos Mustang after contact with the outside retaining wall.

Unable to return to the track Wallace will be credited with a 33rd-place finish.

RFR PR