Crashes are a fairly common sight in NASCAR circles, but even the most avid motorsport fans will have been surprised by the devastating wreck witnessed at Daytona on Sunday.
A string of drivers were fortunate to escape unscathed following a pile-up involving around 20 cars in Florida. And numerous of those behind the wheels were quick to criticise officials for not handling the situation properly given the stormy conditions on the east coast.
Daytona hosted the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Sunday, the final regular-season stop on this year's NASCAR Cup Series. But around half the field failed to finish the race after a skid at the front of the pack caused many entries to fly into the wall, their peers and off-track.
NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin suggested the debacle might not have happened had the rain delay been enforced earlier.
"Better officiating, that's all we can do," he replied after being asked how the incident might have been avoided. "We'll learn from this, I'm sure."
Up-and-comer Justin Haley called it "pretty unacceptable" that officials waited so long before confirming the delay. Austin Dillon made the most of the situation and sliced through a gap to lead following the fallout, taking the 16th and final place in the play-offs.
The manoeuvre was all the more incredible considering Dillon was 16th when the devastation first unfolded. NASCAR released footage of the fracas from the Richard Childress driver's point of view, showing just how close he came to becoming entangled in the onslaught.
Organisers were given a preview of the risks posed by the wet weather in Daytona following a similarly horrifying incident in NASCAR's Xfinity Series on Saturday.
Noah Gragson's No. 9 car came completely off the ground during that incident, though Sunday's race still went ahead undeterred.
Have you seen a bigger crash in motorsports? Let us know in the comments section.
Trackhouse driver Daniel Suarez joined in the criticism against NASCAR's lawmakers, adding: “We knew the rain is coming, it’s raining next door. I feel like they have a lot of technology there to know that this is very close, and if it is very close I don’t think it’s necessary to put us in those positions."
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series play-offs are scheduled to get underway with the Cookout Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina, on Sunday. Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott topped the table in the regular season and is tipped to add to his 2020 championship with another title this year.
