Daytona’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 is always a wild card, and on August 23, 2025, it lived up to its chaotic reputation. Lap 28 turned into a full-on demolition derby when Bubba Wallace got caught in the draft’s blender, sparking a massive multi-car crash that left playoff hopes in tatters. The “Big One” can be seen as Daytona’s signature gut-punch, and this time, it hit hard, sucking in big names and spitting out heartbreak.

It all started when Wallace, trying to navigate the high line, ran out of room and got out of shape. A nudge from Kyle Larson behind him didn’t help, and when Wallace didn’t give Joey Logano enough space in the turn, the dominoes fell. The pileup snagged Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, Logano, Noah Gragson, Ricky Stenhouse, Riley Herbst, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch.

Elliott’s day ended with his first DNF of the season, a brutal blow for the former champ. Bowman’s car limped to the garage after stopping on the backstretch, while others, like Busch, Keselowski, and Hamlin, nursed damage but kept rolling.

Kyle Busch pulled an Austin Dillon move, dumping one car, hooking another, and driving away like nothing happened. But the damage was done, and for Busch, already on the playoff bubble, this wreck was a dagger.

The chaos also clipped playoff hopefuls like McDowell and Gragson, who needed a clean run to lock in their postseason spots. For Wallace, who triggered the mess, it’s a tough pill. He’s been a Daytona beast, but this misstep cost him and others big.

This “Big One” wasn’t just a wreck; it was a playoff dream-crusher. With the regular-season finale deciding the 16-driver field, the Lap 28 carnage reshuffled the stakes. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch, Riley Herbst, and Noah Gragson were all eliminated from playoff contention, their postseason hopes wrecked in the chaos.

Busch, a two-time champ, and Stenhouse, a Daytona 500 winner, now face a long offseason. The Daytona pressure cooker proved once again why it’s the ultimate wild card, leaving fans buzzing about a wreck that’ll be talked about for months.

Alex Bowman is out of the race

Alex Bowman got the bad news over the radio that he’s done for the day. His car took a beating on at least three sides, with the right front mangled. Sitting in the work area, he checked in with spotter Kevin Hamlin for the rundown. “What happened there, Kevin?” Bowman asked.

Hamlin didn’t sugarcoat it, “Man, they just kind of crowded in front of you and it looked like the car who was pushing the 23 just hit him right to get him sideways just hit him and they ran out of room. Hard to tell. You can point the finger at three people, like normal.” Bowman’s reply was pure Daytona, “Yeah, welcome to Daytona.”

Meanwhile, Carson Hocevar, who dodged the chaos, was all laughs on his radio, “Hell of a save. HAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!” His glee was a bright spot in a wreck that crushed so many dreams, proving Daytona’s highs and lows are never far apart.