By Caleb Whisler, Staff Writer
The Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway looked like it was going to be a solid top-10 day for both Kurt Busch and Chase Elliott. However, the day ended early for both drivers following an accident on Lap 183.
Busch was on the inside of Elliott when the car stepped out from under him and shot up the track into Elliott. The field has just went back to green following an incident involving Jamie McMurray.
Busch knew that he had to take at least one more trip down pit road and that he was not pushing the limits at the time of accident.
“I was running the low groove and it just stepped out on me. I wasn’t even trying to fill the whole or go 100%. I had it at 90% and I knew Chase was going to be on my outside and it was just that quick. We were back there in the dirty air, but turn four, I always know it is slick and I wasn’t even pushing through there and it stepped out on me.
“Ruined his day, ruined my day. I hate it for all the Chase Elliott fans and the Kurt Busch fans and my hometown fans. I wasn’t even pushing hard. I knew we had one more stop and then we were going to go. It just stepped out on me. It is ridiculous,” Busch stated.
Elliott knew that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Yeah, I think he just got loose in the bottom there and I was, unfortunately, the guy that was up top. So, we were just trying to be solid today and make the most of what our NAPA Camaro had, and I thought we were doing a pretty good job of that; kind of like what we did last week in trying to get a little bit better. I was just kind of there at the wrong spot and the wrong situation and I’m headed home early.”
Elliott and Busch were regulated to a 34th and 35th place finish, respectively.