Two cars wrecked in violent NASCAR Xfinity crash at Bristol

Two cars were heavily damaged after a violent crash during Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The accident was triggered by Dean Thompson hitting Sheldon Creed while they battled for 15th position at Turn 4 on lap 74.

The contact left Thompson stranded on the track and left him vulnerable to oncoming traffic.

While several drivers steered clear of the wreckage, Brennan Poole couldn’t spot the Haas Factory driver in time, slamming side-first into the #00 Ford after making a last-ditch effort to grab the inside line.

The impact sent Poole several metres further up the road, with the entire right-side bodywork ripped off from the rest of the #44 Alpha Prime Chevrolet.

Given the scale of the incident, Creed and Poole were evaluated at the infield medical centre, but both were later released with no reported injuries.

They were eligible for Dash 4 Cash at Bristol, a programme that rewards Xfinity drivers financially for performing well during a select stretch of four races.

Creed and Poole’s violent crash led to a red flag, but the race was restarted after a 14-minute stoppage. Part-time Xfinity Series driver Kyle Larson took the chequered flag in the #17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, clinching his 16th career win in NASCAR’s second-tier series.

Larson will also be in action in the Cup Series race at Bristol on Sunday.