Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe Involved in Serious Crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway

During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe were involved in a serious early crash during the Quaker State 400. This incident will result in significant ramifications for both drivers as they vie for playoff success.

On Lap 56, Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet snapped loose while navigating Turn 1 and 2, leading to a severe collision that saw his car hit the SAFER barrier nose-first before skidding to a stop.

“There was no warning at all,” Larson said after being evaluated and released from the infield care center.

“If anything, I was getting tighter and tighter. Yeah, it just caught me way off guard. I was never once, even in that same corner, like loose. It just started stepping out and I overcorrected and yeah, just overcorrected.”

Running third at the time, Larson’s struggle to maintain control resulted in a chain reaction that immediately implicated Chase Briscoe.

Chase Briscoe, piloting the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, was running 14th when he collided with Larson’s car.

“I saw the smoke and was trying to slow down,” Briscoe shared outside the infield care center. “I knew he was coming down the race track. I just kept trying to feed the car left to slow it down and I just couldn’t get left quick enough.” Briscoe’s vehicle sustained heavy damage in the impact, bringing his race to a close.

Both drivers were forced to retire from this weekend’s racing, with Larson finishing 37th and Briscoe finishing 38th, the last in the field. Each driver earned just one point, a stark contrast to their anticipated playoff trajectories.

Larson entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, boasting a 35-point advantage above the playoff elimination line. Briscoe, who earned his playoff spot with a win at the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington, ranked 13th in the standings, tied but perilously close to the elimination line alongside Alex Bowman and Harrison Burton.

The Stage 1 race concluded under caution, with Ryan Blaney claiming victory in this segment. Other top performers included Austin Cindric, Alex Bowman, and Joey Logano, amongst others.

“I feel fine,” said Larson. “Thankfully, everything held up great, so thanks to Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR for the safety.”

Briscoe had his say:

“That’s NASCAR, right? You can be on top one week and then you can be at the very bottom of the mountain the next. Unfortunately, our car, I thought, was an adjustment away from being pretty good. We weren’t very good at all balance-wise but I felt like I was able to run around the seventh- to 12th-place guys.”

With upcoming races at Watkins Glen International and Bristol Motor Speedway, the pressure mounts as the bottom four drivers without a victory will face elimination after the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol. Briscoe is feeling the pressure.

“You are hanging on for sure. This place is hard; you are just on the ragged edge. For me, I was almost spinning out. That’s what I kept telling my guys. I needed to make the first pit stop to get our car better, but unfortunately, we didn’t get that opportunity. These guys are on pins and needles, that’s for sure.”