When the lights turn on, the sparks start flying. Especially in the later stages at Bristol Motor Speedway.
While attempting a pass on the lapped car of Jeb Burton, Jimmie Johnson made contact with Burton’s left rear, sparking a multi-car collision into the first turn during Sunday’s Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes.
Third-place runner Kevin Harvick, who enters Sunday as the points leader, spun into a stopped David Ragan, who sat in the middle of the track with massive front-end damage after ramming Johnson’s No. 48.
“Sometimes when you race back there with the squirrels you find a nut sometimes,” Ragan stated to television cameras outside the media center. “The [No]. 26 [car] was a little slower. Jimmie [Johnson] is probably a little impatient trying to get back to the front. I seen him touch him there and as soon as my spotter said they were wrecking, I’m all into the [No.] 48 [car].”
Johnson, who was involved in an earlier incident with a spinning Kurt Busch, spun through turn 1, receiving no further damage.
“The [No.] 48 [car] just got into us a little bit,” said Burton, making his first Bristol start. “I thought I had it saved but it snapped back on me.”
Harvick later returned to the race 42 laps down after making extensive repairs in the garage area.
About the author
Growing up in Easton, Pa., Zach Catanzareti has grown his auto racing interest from fandom to professional. Joining Frontstretch in 2015, Zach enjoys nothing more than being at the track, having covered his first half-season of 18 races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2017. With experience behind the wheel, behind the camera and in the media center, he thrives on being an all-around reporter.
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