The #97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro had been running competitively at the front of the field and led three laps of the race.
The crash began on Lap 124 when Denny Hamlin in the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry tried to go to the outside of the #40 JR Motorsports Camaro of Justin Allgaier through the tri-oval.
That gap closed, and Allgaier spun into the wall on the front stretch.
The view of the Big One from Joey Logano and Ross Chastain. pic.twitter.com/vuTDgfNxFr
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 15, 2026
As the field checked up, an accordion effect of cars going nose-to-tail into each other occurred, and carnage ensued.
Van Gisbergen got into the back of the Kyle Larson in his #5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro before spinning into his Trackhouse Racing teammate Ross Chastain in the #1 car.
The #97 Camaro came to a rest on the paved infield. Van Gisbergen reported damage to the nose and lost two laps making repairs.
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Allgaier took responsibility for the crash, which took Todd Gilliland (#34 Front Row Motorsports Mustang) and Alex Bowman (#48 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro) out of the race.
“Unfortunately, I’m going to take 100 percent responsibility for that one. I hate it for everyone that got caught up in it. Really stinks,” said Allgaier.
There’s the Big One! Here’s what happened. pic.twitter.com/Q9Bf7FNH6W
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 15, 2026
“I felt like our #40 Traveller Whisky Chevrolet was incredible all day.
“I got to the top there and I watched the run coming on the top with Denny, and I don’t know, I thought he was going to push.
“I felt like the lane was closed up just enough that he wouldn’t try and go out there.
“When I realised he was going to go out there it was just too late.
“Once the air got on the right rear spoiler it just kept me turning to the right.
“I hate it for everybody that got caught up in it, because it wasn’t what we wanted.
“It was great to be out front and leading the Daytona 500.
“We’ll go back, I’ll regroup. I’ll watch this video back a lot and really try figure out what I could have done better.”
For Bowman, it was a case of “wrong place, wrong time.”
“We made some good moves to gain some positions back that we lost when we got stuck on pit road,” said Bowman.
“I had a little thought to bail earlier, but right as I thought, I gained a lot of track position through the middle, and I was going to stick with it and see if we could get some stage points.
“Just wrong decision on that one. It is what it is. We will keep digging; go to Atlanta next week and try to win.”
Another angle of the Big One from pit road. pic.twitter.com/NO344j11se
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 15, 2026
Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing won Stage 2 under caution in the #23 Camry ahead of Ryan Blaney (#12 Team Penske Ford Mustang) and John Hunter Nemechek (#43 Legacy Motor Club Camry).
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