Chaos erupted in the Alabama Manufactured Housing 200 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday (April 25) with only seven laps to go in the ARCA Menards Series event after Thomas Annunziata went around in front of the field.
Annunziata was up front battling for the lead in turns 3 and 4 with Isabella Robusto when he got loosened up from behind by Will Kimmel. The changing air behind him sent the car around and down the track into Gio Ruggiero.
“With about 30 to go, my radio stopped working so the spotter couldn’t communicate with me,” Annunziata told Frontstretch after he was released from the infield care center. “I made educated guesses on where to be, and I thought I did a good job but then there at the end, I just lost touch where everyone was and I didn’t know where to go and then I just got spun.”
Annunziata finished 26th, one of 13 drivers who wound up with a DNF due to an accident at Talladega.
Annunziata’s No. 70 Toyota then went back up into traffic while still attached to Kimmel’s No. 69 Toyota as others made contact, including George “Squirrel McNutt” Siciliano, Andrew Patterson, and Ryan Huff.
Bryce Haugeberg, Tim Richmond, Bobby Dale Earnhardt, and Ron Vandermeir Jr. also received damage in the crash, which brought out the red flag.
By the end of the race, the Big One had led to a large number of cars retiring early or nursing heavy damage. Forty drivers began the 76-lap race. But when the checkered flag flew, only 17 completed all 76 laps and just 25 crossed the finish line.
Michael Bellifemini joined Frontstretch in February 2026 as a contributor. Bellifemini was born and raised in New Jersey and graduated from Seton Hall University. He called Seton Hall men's and women's basketball games for their college radio station, 89.5 FM WSOU, and continues to broadcast in the area. Outside of covering NASCAR, Bellifemini is also an avid baseball, football, basketball, and hockey fan and enjoys watching different sports leagues on a daily basis.
Isabella no crying in arca. You must wait till cup to cry like Logano, Hamlin or Busch. The best was when Robie Gordan put on a diaper and cried like a baby that Danica Patrick had an unfair advantage because she only weighed 98 Pounds and he weighed a lot more and people told him to stop whining and go on a diet!