Craig Bracken made his second career start in the ARCA Menards Series in its 2025 season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 15, but he ended up at Halifax Health Medical Center.
He greatly enjoyed driving the No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet, until it all went south when he was involved in the lap 19 wreck with Amber Balcaen, Garrett “Cleetus McFarland” Mitchell and more.
“My spotter told me, coming out of turn 1, he said, ‘There’s a wreck coming out of turn 2,’” Bracken told Frontstretch. “So, the rule is back out of the throttle but don’t lift all the way because you’ll get run over. I looked, and I’m in the middle of turns 1 and 2, and in a split-second decision, it looked like they were stopped.
Craig Bracken, Amber Balcaen and Garrett 'Cleetus McFarland' Mitchell crash at Daytona. pic.twitter.com/4EBplTnriJ
— AJ 9 5 (@_AJ_95_) February 15, 2025
“So I drove right off onto the apron, not knowing that there was a second wreck. And then Amber [Balcaen] came down and hit me in the front, and then I got hit from behind. Right from that point, I couldn’t see anything. I took a left turn and sideswiped the inside wall, it shot back off the wall, hit the other car and then turned hard left.”
The long wreck for Bracken did not stop there.
“At this point, I was just along for the ride based on which way I was facing and couldn’t see,” Bracken said. “As I looked out the driver’s side of the windshield, suddenly, I saw the wall. I was like, ‘Woah, woah, woah, going too fast, this is going to hurt. Bam — just as quick as that happened, the pain was instant.”
While the result of the wreck could certainly have been much worse, Bracken was hurt all over.
“I got lower back injuries right now that are going to take three-four weeks to heal, going through a process there,” Bracken said. “My left knee is swollen up. My right knee is black and blue. My right heel has damage. My left ankle is still swollen up badly.
“Upon impact, I broke the clutch pedal right out of the car. When I hit sideways, I probably hit it then, not realizing it. And then, when I hit head on at a speed of probably 160 mph, that’s what broke the pedal right out onto foot. The firewall got pushed right to the pedals, about six-seven inches. The left-front wheel was right through the firewall, hitting the pedals where my feet were. I just felt everything pushed in.”
Altogether, Bracken experienced four impacts during his crash. Hitting the inside wall was the last, and hardest, one.
“I was getting roughed around,” Bracken said. “I felt sore at that point, but when I hit the wall, it was instant pain like somebody put a knife down my back. Then the whole car, all four tires, went in the air, off the wall, swung back down, and that’s when the car stopped. I was in so much pain and out of breath. I got the wind knocked out of me and couldn’t see anything.
“I was trying to let the team know I was OK, but I couldn’t say anything. But I didn’t realize, it must’ve been from the side impact, the wire on my helmet broke. They were trying to get ahold of me, and I was trying to get ahold of them, and we didn’t realize they couldn’t hear me.”
That’s when the AMR safety team arrived to the scene of the crash and began to try to get Bracken out of the vehicle and into an ambulance.
“The safety team asked where I was hurt,” Bracken said. “I said in my back. They wanted to cut me out of the car. I just said I need to get out of here.
“With the angle I was sitting at, I was sore. I wanted to get out of the car, maybe the change in position will alleviate the pain in my back. They asked, ‘Are you sure?’ I said, ‘Yes, if we could.’ A nurse and doctor held my head and neck, another grabbed my shoulders and another doctor got in the car next to me, and they all picked me up out of the car. I couldn’t lift myself out.”
Upon exiting his No. 02, Bracken was taken to Daytona’s infield care center. From there, he was transported to the nearest hospital: Halifax. He was later released Saturday night.
Bracken’s sister and brother-in-law were at the ARCA race when the crash occurred. After Bracken was released, they got something to eat and then went to the hotel where he rested. The next day, the three of them went to the Daytona 500 in the pits.
Bracken could barely walk, but he wanted to make an appearance and let people know he was OK and available to talk. When it started raining, Bracken was very sore, so they went back to the hotel. While his family members left on Monday, Feb. 17, he stayed until that Wednesday night, when he then drove to his home in Concord, N.C.
That Thursday (Feb. 20), Bracken met with the NASCAR doctor for an update on his injuries and the recovery process. He’ll meet again with that doctor in three weeks. In all, it’s likely an eight-week recovery process for him. In the meantime, Bracken is taking only Advil and Tylenol to help take the edge off his pain.
After his doctor’s appointment, Bracken went to Young’s Motorsports shop. After conversing with the team, team owner Tyler Young asked Bracken, “Do you want to see the car?”
“Yes sir,” Bracken answered, to which Young replied, “Are you sure? It’s pretty torn up, and a lot of people might not want to see it.”
Bracken indeed wanted to see it. Upon the sight of the destroyed No. 02 car, Bracken became a little emotional because he said, “I’m surprised I walked away from it.”
“Without the safety equipment, I guarantee I would not be here talking to you,” Bracken said.
After looking at the car for 15 minutes, Bracken inspected the car, remembering what it was like driving in the race before the wreck.
ARCA series officials checked the car to ensure its safety features worked and studied it to see if any more changes need to be made for the future. The car is heavily damaged, though Young’s is salvaging what it can. Bracken hopes the engine is not damaged, although he has not asked the team for further details.
Bracken is adamant he had a top-five car, one capable of winning at Daytona. His plan that day was to stay out of trouble in the first half and then drive to the front in the second half. He was running 16th at the time of his wreck. He finished 27th, not indicative of his performance.
“I was frustrated and disappointed over people driving over their head or taking too many risks without realizing the consequences in that it affects other people, not just them,” Bracken said. “When I’m out racing, I’m thinking of everyone else as well. My decision affects all 40 cars out there, so I’m not going to do anything that is going to jeopardize making a bad move and possibly taking somebody out of the race.
“When you’re running that fast, I would like everyone to take more time making rash decisions. We’re running so fast that this could’ve gone a lot worse. I’m glad to be alive and walking. To finish first, you first got to finish. Everyone needs to remember that during the race.”
The Daytona race was Bracken’s first return to ARCA in nearly 20 years. In 2002, he debuted in the series at Berlin Raceway. He later failed to qualify for the second Toledo Speedway race in 2005.
That year, Bracken also moved from his hometown of Belle River, Ontario, Canada, to North Carolina to chase his racing dream. Life happened, and 20 years later, Bracken was back behind the wheel of an ARCA racecar to make his second-ever start in the series.
“This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, to race at Daytona,” Bracken said. “My first time there was when my dad took my cousin and myself when I was 18 [years old]. It was awesome to fulfill that dream. It was incredible, and I cannot thank Mr. Ronnie [Johncox, team owner] enough. Without him, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity.”
Johncox owns Technique High-Speed Prototypes, the primary sponsor of the Daytona car.
Johncox also owns Technique Chassis, where Bracken works. Technique Chassis builds the chassis for the NASCAR Cup Series cars, and Bracken is the paint shop manager there.
Even though he is injured — Tuesday, Feb. 25, was his first day back at the day job — Bracken aspires to join the Cup Series field one day.
“I’m 52, but I’m not going to stop until I make it to the Cup Series,” Bracken said. “My experience, talent and knowledge will help me move forward.”
Hopefully, Bracken will receive medical clearance to climb back into a racecar in eight weeks, which would be approximately mid-April. He hopes to acquire more sponsorship to compete in the remaining ARCA races, and ideally, he would like to run full time next year. Despite the crash, his injuries and the cost, Bracken won’t quit because he’s a racer at heart.
“I was very blessed to make it out, and I’m not going to let that stop me,” Bracken said. “It’s what I love to do. [I was] born to race.”
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.