Bubba Wallace caught in wreck with Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell at Kansas

The good news for Bubba Wallace is that his wreck was one of the least severe and he’ll be able to continue after the restart. McDowell found himself in the same boat.

Cindric wasn’t so lucky.

The race has really tightened up in the late going after a fairly straightforward first two stages. Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson were battling for the lead, with Ty Gibbs not far behind, at the time of the Bubba Wallace crash.

There were three cautions in short succession around the end of Stage 2, with multiple wrecks. An earlier wreck involved Jimmie Johnson and ended his day. That wreck happened after Johnson appeared to let off the throttle and Corey LaJoie bumped him from behind.

Johnson spun out toward the infield track.

“Just hard racing on these restarts,” Johnson said. “Certainly disappointed to be hit from behind, spun out and turned around, but I’m confident it wasn’t on purpose. Just kind of one of those racing things. Unfortunate but we’ll dust ourselves off and take the AdventHealth Toyota home and get ready to do it again in May.

“Just trying to set myself up for the corner and obviously I got a little help from behind and just kind of hanging on from there.”Just trying to set myself up for the corner and obviously I got a little help from behind and just kind of hanging on from there.”