Brent Crews, William Sawalich see Chase hopes end at Daytona after crashes

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Brent Crews. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brent Crews, William Sawalich see Chase hopes end at Daytona after crashes

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Aug 28, 2026 8:48 PM ET

Both William Sawalich and Brent Crews came into Friday's NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Daytona firmly on the Chase bubble.

After both Joe Gibbs Racing drivers were involved in wrecks in the Winn-Dixie 250, their Chase hopes are essentially over, which bodes well for their JGR teammate in Taylor Gray and Rajah Caruth. Another bubble driver in Sam Mayer was involved in the same Stage 1 crash as Crews.

Trouble strikes for multiple Chase hopefuls

While Crews' No. 19 team are working to repair his car, he will return to the track many laps down, if at all. Sawalich, meanwhile, is likely out of the race after a Lap 44 crash that also involved heavy hitters in Corey Day and Sammy Smith, among others.

Parker Retzlaff clinched a Chase spot at the end of Stage 1, leaving only three spots up for grabs. Barring a miracle, neither Crews nor Sawalich will earn a postseason berth.

TROUBLE FOR TWO CHASE CONTENDERS! @97patrickstar goes around, and collects @sam_mayer_ and @Brentcrews.

Stage 1 is claimed by @_AustinHill. pic.twitter.com/Kx2VEZtTnC
— NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (@NASCAROReillyAP) August 29, 2026

ANOTHER DRIVER ON THE BUBBLE CRASHES!@WilliamSawalich suffers heavy damage after @sammysmithSS got turned into the pack. pic.twitter.com/R3sE87rM9P
— NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (@NASCAROReillyAP) August 29, 2026

Sawalich won for the first time in his career at Rockingham on April 4 but has had a topsy-turvy season since, which led to him ending up on the Chase bubble. Crews, meanwhile, would almost certainly be in the Chase had he not missed four races at the start of the season due to his age.

The O'Reilly Series Chase will begin at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 5. Justin Allgaier has already locked up the No. 1 Chase seed regardless of what happens in the second half of Friday's race.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

More must-reads: