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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Kyle Busch suffered a compound fracture in his right leg, as well as a fractured left foot after a vicious late-race wreck at the Alert Today Florida 300 at Daytona International Speedway. He is out indefinitely.
Matt Crafton will replace him in Sunday's Daytona 500. Joe Gibbs Racing said an interim driver beyond Daytona has not been determined.
The accident, met with criticism from a number of drivers because it occured at a place on the track which did not have SAFER barriers, prompted an almost immediate response from track president Joie Chitwood, who pledged to wrap the track in the afforementioned soft walls immediately following Sunday's race.
"SAFER barriers should have been there tonight," Chitwood said. "We can't allow this again."
On Lap 113 of the Xfinity Series race, Busch spun while pushing Erik Jones coming through the front-stretch tri-oval. Busch's car rocketed straight toward a section of wall that did not have SAFER barriers in place. Busch immediately attempted to exit the car, but as safety crews covered the car in fire extinguisher foam, Busch apparently got hung up getting his right leg out of the car.
[Related: Here's how much it would cost to install SAFER barriers around Daytona]
Emergency crews attended to Busch, wrapping his right leg and ankle in a splint. He left the scene in an ambulance, and was transported to a nearby hospital. Approximately 90 minutes later, Joe Gibbs Racing announced Busch would not be racing in Sunday's Daytona 500, but did not name a replacement driver and did not indicate how long Busch would be out.
The wreck occurred just 90 minutes before Kyle's brother Kurt was scheduled to appeal his indefinite suspension from NASCAR. If Kurt Busch does not drive in Sunday's race, this will mark the first Daytona 500 since 2000 without a Busch brother.
Drivers immediately took to Twitter to express support for Kyle and frustration with the fact that SAFER barriers, which collapse and reduce force on impact, are not present all around every track
Matt Crafton will replace him in Sunday's Daytona 500. Joe Gibbs Racing said an interim driver beyond Daytona has not been determined.
The accident, met with criticism from a number of drivers because it occured at a place on the track which did not have SAFER barriers, prompted an almost immediate response from track president Joie Chitwood, who pledged to wrap the track in the afforementioned soft walls immediately following Sunday's race.
"SAFER barriers should have been there tonight," Chitwood said. "We can't allow this again."
On Lap 113 of the Xfinity Series race, Busch spun while pushing Erik Jones coming through the front-stretch tri-oval. Busch's car rocketed straight toward a section of wall that did not have SAFER barriers in place. Busch immediately attempted to exit the car, but as safety crews covered the car in fire extinguisher foam, Busch apparently got hung up getting his right leg out of the car.
[Related: Here's how much it would cost to install SAFER barriers around Daytona]
Emergency crews attended to Busch, wrapping his right leg and ankle in a splint. He left the scene in an ambulance, and was transported to a nearby hospital. Approximately 90 minutes later, Joe Gibbs Racing announced Busch would not be racing in Sunday's Daytona 500, but did not name a replacement driver and did not indicate how long Busch would be out.
The wreck occurred just 90 minutes before Kyle's brother Kurt was scheduled to appeal his indefinite suspension from NASCAR. If Kurt Busch does not drive in Sunday's race, this will mark the first Daytona 500 since 2000 without a Busch brother.
Drivers immediately took to Twitter to express support for Kyle and frustration with the fact that SAFER barriers, which collapse and reduce force on impact, are not present all around every track
