Mayhem struck the front straightaway on the final lap at Talladega like it’s done many times in the past. Miguel Paludo went flipping across the line and was taken to the infield care center but later released. Justin Lofton on the other hand was one of the unlucky that was injured in the carnage.
Lofton was taken to a local hospital for further evaluations. Family members have confirmed that Lofton was taken due to an injury on his left hand. Luckily Lofton’s injuries shouldn’t keep him over night at the hospital.
NSCS driver, Kyle Busch was also involved in the wreck and shaken up afterwards. Busch smacked the exit of pit road wall where there is no safer barrier. “Rowdy” would then sit down along the front stretch wall until medial officials got to him. He was later released from the infield care center.
“I don’t know where it started,” Busch said after being checked out at the infield care center. “Yeah, there was a couple really good licks I took. There was no sense sitting in the vehicle. I just needed to get out and get some fresh air.”
Rookie, Darrell Wallace Jr. was another one caught up in the destruction as his No. 54 Toyota took a hard lick into the wall.
“Jesus Christ, hardest hit of my career,” Wallace said outside the care center. “It scared the hell out of me. Makes you want to go 10 mph under the speed limit in your regular car because pushing 200 and wrecking that hard, I’d die. That’s scary. I’m freaking myself out again. Just couldn’t breathe. I’m all good, not sore anywhere. My pride’s hurt. As long as my Vols won and beat South Carolina, I’m all good.”
“It’s a pretty eerie sight when you come in the med center and see half the field there,” Red Horse Racing driver John Wes Townley said after he was cleared from an earlier wreck.
Other drivers involved in the wreck, all of whom have been cleared, include: pole sitter Jeb Burton — son of former Cup driver Ward Burton, Ron Hornaday, Matt Crafton, Chris Fontaine, Clay Greenfield, Ross Chastain, Max Gresham and Parker Kligerman.
Dakota Armstrong driving the No. 60 just got released from the infield care center, he was the last one to leave around 8:00 PM EST.
Nice job young man…