Video: Massive 17-Car Crash at Daytona Coke Zero Sugar 400

A 17-car crash on lap 60 in Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway impacted all of the drivers vying for the regular season championship and a few drivers trying to make the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Those involved in the backstretch crash were Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Preece, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson, Daniel Hemric, Corey LaJoie, Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, Noah Gragson, Christopher Bell and John Hunter Nemechek. However, Elliott, Gragson, Hamlin and Preece were the only drivers eliminated. Bowman and Chastain continued one lap down, while LaJoie was 10 laps down. Everyone else remained on the lead lap.

“I was behind the (No.) 1 (Chastain),” Gragson said. “I pushed him a couple times and he just couldn’t take a push. He was super squirrely and I didn’t feel comfortable pushing him just because he was out of shape by himself. I was trying to get out of that middle line.”

Hamlin said it seemed like “some guys wanted to go, some guys didn’t, and it caused a little contact.”

“Everyone was saving gas, so I didn’t really think anyone was being too aggressive, but the first thing I saw was the (No.) 7 (LaJoie) got turned in front of me,” Hamlin said.

The massive crash left Elliott with his first DNF this season.

“I was trying to get slowed down and hoped nobody would hit me from behind,” Elliott said. “Unfortunately, neither one of those things happened.”

Entering the event, Reddick possessed a 10-point lead over Elliott and a 22-point advantage over Larson in the fight for the regular season championship.

Among those drivers vying for a playoff berth, Chastain entered the race one point above the cutline.