With 31 laps, William Byron's race came to a shocking and violent end.
Byron had bobbled just before that, which handed the race lead to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson.
Soon after, the caution flew as the No. 24 crashed across the track in a bizarre incident. While trying to hunt Larson back down for the race lead, Ty Dillon (who was off-sequence), was trying to get to pit road.
Byron had no idea and slammed into the back of Dillon's car at a high rate of speed, absolutely destroying both race cars.
John Hunter Nemechek spun as well as he avoided the massive impact.
Both drivers walk away from huge crash
Big trouble for the No. 24 of @WilliamByron! pic.twitter.com/I2fncPZeWW
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 13, 2025
"What happened there?" radioed Dillon, bewildered. Both drivers were checked and released from the infield care center.
"I never saw him wave," said a gutted Byron after being released from the infield care center. "I never saw any indication that he was pitting, and it was probably 12 to 15 laps after we had pitted, so I thought the cycle was fully over. Nobody said anything to my spotter from what I know. I had zero idea. Everyone has been wrapping the paint really far around the corner and that's what I was doing.
“I was watching him and he missed the bottom a little bit and then he just started slowing and I had no idea what was going on. I'm just devastated. I had no indication, so obviously, I wouldn't have just driven through the back of him like that."
He then added, "For random shit to happen like that, it just sucks."
As for Dillon, here's his take on what transpired: "It was a rough day for us. My spotter told me that he let the 24 spotter know we were coming to pit road. maybe I din't wave him off enough, but at this level, you kind of trust your spotters to do that. I don't know what we do different there.
"Hate it for the Hendrick guys, hate it for Chevrolet that it happened that way. But I'm not even looking out the mirror that point. I'm just trying to get onto pit road and he hit me hard. It's an unfortunate way for that to happen."
Byron, who placed 36th and won Stage 1, will leave Las Vegas 15 points below the cutline and fifth in the playoff standings.
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