With just 15 laps to go in the 2025 Daytona 500, a massive crash brought heartbreak for several NASCAR stars, including Kyle Busch, who was taken out of contention after a chaotic chain reaction. The wreck was triggered when Joey Logano made a bold move to pass Ricky Stenhouse Jr., only for Stenhouse to block him, leading to a violent collision that caused both cars to lose control. The ensuing chaos involved several other top drivers, including Busch, whose #8 Chevrolet was caught in the mess.
In the aftermath, Busch didn’t hold back his frustration. “Looks like the fastest car got in a hurry to get to the wreck,” he said in his post-race interview, clearly still seething. Busch continued, adding, “Logano was by far the fastest car today, led a lot of laps. And with 20 laps to go, he tries to go through the middle, make a hole that isn’t there, and just created chaos. Hate it for all of our guys on the Zone Chevrolet. We had a fast car, and we were in a good spot, just biding our time and waiting for the right moment.”
Busch didn’t mince words when criticizing Logano’s awareness behind the wheel, saying, “You’ve got to know how wide your car is to find a hole it’ll fit in. He obviously doesn’t know that.” The pile-up also took down drivers like Chase Elliott and Cole Custer, further adding to the carnage.
Before the crash, Logano had been in the lead, capturing Stage 1 victory and showing dominance in the race. But his aggressive tactics seemed unnecessary, given he was already in a prime position to contend for victory in the closing laps.
Commentators also weighed in on the situation. Former driver Clint Bowyer pointed out that Stenhouse wasn’t giving Logano any room as he attempted to make his move. “Got a little greedy there, Kevin,” Bowyer remarked to fellow commentator Kevin Harvick, signaling how Logano’s ambition for the win may have been too much, too soon.
For Busch, the wreck was yet another crushing blow in his pursuit of a Daytona 500 victory—one of the few major trophies that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career. With 2024 behind him, Busch now sets his sights on next year’s race, hoping to claim the victory that has remained just out of reach for so long.
