Home / NASCAR / Kyle Busch Hands Chase Elliott 1st DNF Of 2025 In Wild Chain-Reaction Wreck At Richmond

Kyle Busch Hands Chase Elliott 1st DNF Of 2025 In Wild Chain-Reaction Wreck At Richmond

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
Updated –
We may use AI tools to support content creation and editing. While we aim for accuracy via strict editorial standards, readers should independently verify important information. Ads on our site are served by Google AdSense and are not controlled or influenced by our editorial team.
Chase Elliott

Chase Elliott made it through a massive multi-car wreck in Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.

Until he didn’t.

Just blame Kyle Busch.

Just when it seemed that Elliott had missed a major accident on Lap 199 of 400, Busch — seemingly unaware of Elliott being on his inside — drilled the No. 9 Chevrolet in the right rear.

How Did Chase Elliott’s Race Unravel At Richmond?

The collision between Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott sent Elliott’s car hard and head-first into the outside wall, ending both his night and any shot he had of winning the regular season championship.

Elliott didn’t fault Busch, a fellow Chevy driver, for the contact, which appeared inadvertent.

“I think Kyle just didn’t know that we were trying to squeeze by the wreck on the bottom,” Elliott said. “He was kind of angled back towards the bottom of the racetrack, and I was just coming through. It’s just unfortunate.”

Busch was able to continue after triggering the big accident, which started when he spun Chase Briscoe’s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in Turn 3. Eleven cars in total got a piece of the wreck, but Elliott suffered the worst of it — ending an evening that seemed to be on the upswing after beginning with some adversity.

“We had a good start to the race,” Elliott said. “I kind of got on the wrong end there in the beginning and lost some track position. We got behind the No. 19 (Briscoe) and got a penalty.

“I thought we were in a pretty good spot right there. We finally got on some better tires. And we were making our way through there well. So, I was excited to see where that was going to go. But unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance.”

Chase Elliott Falls Short In NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Title Quest

Chase Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron was just behind Elliott when Elliott lost control from the contact with Kyle Busch. With nowhere to go, Byron’s No. 24 car brushed up against Elliott’s car as the No. 9 sailed toward to the wall.

However, unlike Elliott, who recorded his first DNF of the season, Byron suffered only minor damage and kept going.

Byron managing to avoid disaster, coupled with Elliott’s DNF, allowed Byron to clinch the regular season title with only next weekend’s race at Daytona still remaining before the playoffs.

Elliott, who trailed points leader Byron by 42 points coming into the night, already faced long odds of catching his teammate. But now, Byron has been crowned regular season champion and claims the all-important 15 extra playoff points that come with it.

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
Jared Turner is a motorsports writer who has covered NASCAR for 20 years. He has interviewed over 20 NASCAR Hall of Famers and around 100 drivers, crew chiefs, and team owners, both past and present. He has also covered the sport for FOX Sports (where he was a two-time recipient of the FOX “X” Award for “Xtraordinary” job performance), NASCAR.com, Sporting News, NASCAR Pole Position Magazine, the SPEED network, and plenty of other online and print-only publications throughout his career. Notably, Jared has penned dozens of articles for NASCAR souvenir programs, including several featured prominently in Daytona 500 keepsakes. A Virginia Press Association award winner and former member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Jared has racked up accolades both for his writing and his academic work. He studied both Communication and Psychology at Virginia Tech, where he was permanently enshrined in Phi Beta Kappa — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Jared excels at feature writing and opinion writing, much of which stems from his dedication to all levels of racing.
All posts by Jared Turner
Other News