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26-Car Talladega Crash Halves Field, Sparks Car Redesign Debate

4/28/2026

41 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Logano Criticizes Cars

A 26-car crash on Lap 115 at Talladega marked the largest field since a 28-car pileup at Daytona two years earlier.
The wreck knocked out roughly half the field and sent Bubba Wallace into the wall.
Two-time Cup champion Joey Logano said the Next Gen cars have round bumpers and are unstable, limiting drafting and bumping.
Critics call for a redesign yet doubt NASCAR will act because of its prior investment.

Summary

NASCAR Alters Cadence

NASCAR reversed the race cadence, making teams save fuel early before full-throttle stages, a shift that preceded the 26-car wreck.
Ryan Blaney said the format left drivers either fuel-saving or running into each other, intensifying pack instability.
Drivers warned that pulling out of line or using a third lane created a “death trap” because drag and low downforce stalled momentum, a tactical dilemma amplified by the revised format.

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Logano Criticizes Cars

A 26-car crash on Lap 115 at Talladega marked the largest field since a 28-car pileup at Daytona two years earlier.
The wreck knocked out roughly half the field and sent Bubba Wallace into the wall.
Two-time Cup champion Joey Logano said the Next Gen cars have round bumpers and are unstable, limiting drafting and bumping.
Critics call for a redesign yet doubt NASCAR will act because of its prior investment.

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