Joey Logano was fighting for a victory at Talladega Superspeedway when his afternoon took a terrifying turn.
With just five laps remaining in Sunday’s YellaWood 500, the Team Penske driver’s No. 22 Ford was caught in a massive multicar wreck that sent his car flipping onto its roof.
Logano had been running near the front of the field, battling for position as the NASCAR Cup Series race approached its finish. Instead of getting a chance to fight for the win, the three-time series champion found himself upside down as several other cars were collected in the chaos.
All drivers involved have exited their vehicles.
NASCAR displayed the red flag following the accident.
There was a welcome sight moments after the frightening crash. Logano climbed out of his overturned No. 22 Ford, drawing applause from fans in attendance at Talladega Superspeedway.
The reaction offered a moment of relief after one of the afternoon’s most alarming incidents, although there was no immediate official update on his medical evaluation.
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There was encouraging news shortly after the crash. Logano climbed out of his overturned Ford with help from NASCAR safety officials, drawing applause from fans in the grandstands. He later spoke with reporters, explaining that he believed he had been pushed in the wrong spot before his car flipped.
“Oh no, I’m upside down, this is not good,” Logano recalled thinking during the crash.
Logano also praised NASCAR’s safety improvements and the emergency crews who helped him escape. He noted that his car had held up much better than during a previous rollover, when the roof was crushed near his head.
“I can’t thank the safety crew enough,” Logano said before adding a particularly sobering thought: “Happy to be alive.”
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The crash came during a frantic late-race battle for position, with drivers forming multiple lanes and making aggressive moves in the draft.
Logano had already shown he had a car capable of winning. Earlier in the afternoon, he edged championship leader Kyle Larson by just 0.012 seconds to capture the Stage 2 victory.
That made the late accident particularly devastating. Logano was in contention for a potentially crucial victory with the checkered flag approaching.
The extent of the damage to the other vehicles involved was not 100 percent clear. Logano’s condition once he got out of his car has not been confirmed in the initial reports following the wreck.
Joey Logano Flips Upside Down in Horrifying Talladega Crash With 5 Laps to Go