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Regan Smith flips in big Xfinity crash at Daytona; RED FLAG with 27 to go

Regan Smith

Regan Smith (7) flips on the front stretch after being involved in a multi-car accident during a NASCAR Xfinity series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, in Daytona Beach, Fla.(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

AP

Multiple contenders have been impacted by a big crash that has red-flagged the NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway at Lap 93 of 120.

The incident started when Kyle Larson made contact with the rear of the lapped car of Daniel Suarez coming off of Turn 4. Suarez slid sideways and into Regan Smith, who flipped before landing right-side up. As Smith went over, Suarez skidded into Smith’s teammate, Chase Elliott, while Smith took hits from Scott Lagasse Jr. and Brendan Gaughan.

Smith climbed out of his battered No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet and walked away under his own power.

“I saw the 18 [Suarez] wrecking, wrecking again, and wrecking a third time, and there’s really nowhere I can go coming off the corner,” Smith told Fox Sports 1. “I’m down as low as I can get right there. He saved it, saved it, saved it, and then ... I’m in trouble.

“Unfortunate. I don’t know if he got help from behind or whatever, but I do know he was two laps down. In that situation, you’re really not gonna get up there and get a lucky dog or anything, so it probably would’ve been cool to hang out in the back of the pack and let us stay up there and race the way we were racing. I’ll talk to him and see what the deal was.”

Other drivers involved in the crash included: John Wes Townley, Justin Marks, Ryan Sieg and Chad Boat. Austin Dillon escaped the incident, but as the field was stopping on the backstretch for the red flag, Mike Wallace rear-ended the former Xfinity Series champion to damage both of their cars.

At the time of the red flag, Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Reed was leading Brad Keselowski, Erik Jones, Larson, and J.J. Yeley.

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