A vicious crash has taken Kyle Busch out of tomorrow’s Daytona 500. Busch, who was running the XFINITY race Saturday suffered a right leg injury when he was tapped from behind on Lap 113 of 120. The No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota, the innocent victim of one of Daytona’s “Big Ones” made heavy contact with the inside wall, impacting at a place where there currently is no SAFER Barrier.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH1InDXxofc
Busch, who initially exited under his own power immediately sat down on the ground in pain. Medical personnel could be seen stabilizing his right leg, neck, and back as the driver was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. Wife Samantha, pregnant with the couple’s first child could be seen in tears as she was shuffled quickly away to join her husband.
Kyle’s injury, combined with Kurt’s NASCAR suspension means there will be no Busch brother in the Daytona 500 for the first time since 2000. Joe Gibbs Racing, in announcing details on his condition has not yet given a substitute driver. Pickings are slim among Toyota drivers who have not qualified for the event; JGR’s XFINITY Series stable does not include one who has made a career Cup start. The only Toyota drivers that did not qualify on the Cup side were rookies Jeb Burton and Justin Marks. Matt Crafton, the two-time reigning Truck Series champion could potentially be available, along with former Cup regular David Reutimann.
The author of Did You Notice? (Wednesdays) Tom spends his time overseeing Frontstretch’s 40+ staff members as its majority owner and Editor-in-Chief. Based outside Philadelphia, Bowles is a two-time Emmy winner in NASCAR television and has worked in racing production with FOX, TNT, and ESPN while appearing on-air for SIRIUS XM Radio and FOX Sports 1's former show, the Crowd Goes Wild. He most recently consulted with SRX Racing, helping manage cutting-edge technology and graphics that appeared on their CBS broadcasts during 2021 and 2022.
You can find Tom’s writing here, at CBSSports.com and Athlonsports.com, where he’s been an editorial consultant for the annual racing magazine for 15 years.