Justin Allgaier Triggers Big Crash To End Stage 2 Of Daytona 500

The driver of the No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet made an errant move at the front of the field near the end of Stage 2, which led to a 17-car melee.

Feb 15, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series drivers Justin Allgaier (40), Todd Gilliland (34), Denny Hamlin (11), Kyle Larson (5) and Alex Bowman (48) crash during the 68th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- With just a handful of laps remaining in the second Stage of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500, all hell broke loose when Justin Allgaier, the leader of the race, had a mental lapse at the front of the field.

Allgaier, who was leading Denny Hamlin in the high lane, looked like he was going to move to the low lane to block a run that Bubba Wallace had on him, but then after moving down slightly, he thought better of it and shifted back to the high lane.

Unfortunately, he had lost his momentum and collided with Hamlin as he attempted to blend back in line. This would trigger a track-blocking 17-car melee, involving Allgaier, Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Cindric, Todd Gilliland, Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, and more.

The big one has struck in the #Daytona500. Bubba Wallace leads Ryan Blaney after this pileup. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/esavn589Vw

— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) February 15, 2026

Here is another camera angle of the crash from the roof cam on Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota:

The view from Denny Hamlin's No. 11. pic.twitter.com/kXEzffU4lS

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 15, 2026

Allgaier, Gilliland, and Bowman would have to head to the garage for repairs due to the damage sustained in the crash, and all three would officially drop out of the race. Everyone else involved in the crash was able to soldier on to the end of the Stage.

Bubba Wallace would claim the Stage 2 win, joining Zane Smith, who won Stage 1, as a Stage winner in the 2026 Daytona 500.

Ryan Blaney, who was pinched into the wall in the incident, would finish runner-up in Stage 2, but would lose track position under the Stage caution as his No. 12 Team Penske team assessed the damage on his Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

Currently, the only other driver listed as out of the race, in addition to Allgaier, Gilliland, and Bowman, is B.J. McLeod. McLeod suffered a mechanical issue with his car on Lap 5, which sent him spinning in Turn 4. That crash resulted in six drivers suffering damage.

A very unfortunate way for B.J. McLeod's sixth #Daytona500 start to go. pic.twitter.com/PzkUh7uInU

— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) February 15, 2026

While heading to the start-finish line on Lap 85, another multi-car incident broke out when Cody Ware made contact with Ross Chastain. That contact sent Ware skidding down the track, where he would clip Ty Gibbs. Gibbs would spin back up the track and into Connor Zilisch's No. 88 Chevrolet. Chase Briscoe and Austin Dillon would also be heavily involved in this pileup.

Here's what transpired moments ago. Austin Dillon, Chase Briscoe, Connor Zilisch are all behind the wall in the #Daytona500. pic.twitter.com/TL1EZWnGIy

— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) February 15, 2026

Zilisch would lose five laps receiving repairs in the garage, while Chase Briscoe would fall 12 laps to the leaders, and Dillon would spend 41 laps in the garage. All three are still running as of the end of Stage 2.

As the race enters the final Stage, the threat of inclement weather is off in the distance, and is expected to arrive between 6-7 PM ET. However, there is concern that lightning could arrive in the vicinity of the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway before precipitation begins to fall.