TALLADEGA, Ala. — The NASCAR Chase race at Talladega Superspeedway was stopped under the red flag with five laps remaining after a scary wreck involving three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano, whose car went airborne and landed on its roof.
Safety crews needed several minutes to turn Logano's No. 22 Ford back over on its wheels, and Logano was able to climb from the car to cheers from the crowd.
Logano was running in fourth when he lost control off a push by Carson Hocevar and started a 15-car pileup on the frontstretch that also included Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski, Austin Cindric, Josh Berry and Riley Herbst, who appeared to lose the brakes in his No. 35 Toyota before hitting the inside wall at virtually full speed.
“I just got a push in the wrong spot there,” Logano said. “It was very much a ‘Talladega Nights,’ Oh no, I’m upside down, this is not good’ moment. I can’t thank the safety crew enough. They did an amazing job flipping that thing over."
Herbst, who missed the Daytona race in August with a concussion from a crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, was able to exit his car with help from safety workers. He took a moment to lean against his car before removing his helmet.
In a postrace interview with USA Sports, Herbst had a soft cast on his left hand and a wrap around his wrist and forearm.
“I’m OK; it was a big one,” Herbst said. "But just thank you to 2311 Racing and Toyota for the support. It’s been an up-and-down year, to say the least. I thought we had a shot at it there at the end. We got shuffled out a little bit, but came back and ultimately just got caught up in that wreck at Talladega.
“My dad always said, ‘If you’re going to be dumb, you better be tough.’ So, cheers.”
Logano is a three-time winner at Talladega. He has been involved in airborne crashes before at the 2.66-mile oval that is infamous for its big crashes.
After a similar incident in the April 2021 race at Talladega, Logano expressed frustration that his car had gotten up in the air and had its roof crushed. "I got a roll bar in my head," Logano said. "That is not OK. I am one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through ( in the 2020 Daytona 500 ). I just don't feel like that is acceptable."
NASCAR made safety enhancements to address airborne wrecks in recent years, and the Team Penske driver praised his car's integrity after the wreck Sunday at Talladega.
“The car did a great job," Logano said. "The last time I flipped it was crushed on my head. This time, I don’t think any of the roll cage crushed at all, so I appreciate what NASCAR’s done. Thank you and the safety team for getting me out of there. There was some vicious hits in this one. Just happy to be alive.”
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