Early Wreck Eliminates Future Stars from NASCAR Xfinity Race

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The pit crew of Christopher Bell, the driver of the #20 Rheem Toyota, work on his car during the NASCAR Xfinity Series PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona Intern national Speedway on February 17, 2018, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Photo – Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

In what seemed like eons before Saturday’s PowerShares QQQ NASCAR Xfinity Series at Daytona International Speedway concluded in the late Saturday afternoon, two future stars of the sport made early trips to the garage.

In his first start in the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, Austin Cindric fought a loose-handling condition for the first nine laps. On the 10th circuit, the car broke loose off turn four and triggered an eight-car wreck that brought out the first of a record 12 cautions

Collected in the accident was the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Christopher Bell, who was an innocent victim of the melee.

Cindric started the race adopting a conservative, patient approach.

“I learned that waiting until the end really isn’t a thing,” Cindric said. “It’s tough, because you just work all year to get prepared, and you work all year trying to find seats to sit in. It’s just unfortunate it only lasts that long. I hate it for the guys on the 60 and anybody else involved. We’ll move on to Atlanta. I look forward to seeing how Chase (Briscoe) and those guys do in the 60.

“I will be in the 12 (for Team Penske). Hopefully, we have a longer race down there. We were a little loose coming off of (turn) four, but I need to see a replay to see how close the 18 (Daniel Suarez) was to my door. Those guys were getting pretty aggressive for lap ten or wherever we were. It’s unfortunate to be put in that position, but we were just racing.”

Bell was philosophical, understanding the vagaries of restrictor-plate racing.

“Yeah, we get ready for the rest of the season,” he said after exiting the infield care center. “We knew coming into Daytona there could be a mishap. We tested at Atlanta (site of next week’s race) and it’s one of my favorite racetracks so I am excited to get there.”

As to the wreck itself, Bell said: “I didn’t see what happened. There was a car parked in front of me and I ran into him.”