Big crash end Tony Stewart’s day at Pocono

A big crash knocked out several contenders in the GoBowling.com 400 Sunday at Pocono Raceway.

Just as the race resumed on Lap 117 following a caution for a Jimmie Johnson accident and with the field bunched together, Denny Hamlin broke loose exiting Turn 2. Hamlin saved his car from spinning but Brian Vickers then spun, blocking the track.

All together, 13 drivers were collected, including Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth.

“I was coming out of Turn 2 and 11 car (Hamlin) spun in front of us and I was trying to avoid him and the car got out from under me,” Vickers said. “I don’t know if someone got into me or not. One thing led to another trying to avoid the 11 and then I ended up in the wall. It’s a shame.”

Stewart experienced the wildest ride, with his rear wheels ending up on the hood of Menard’s car. Unaware that their driver was stuck with a car on his hood, the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing team radioed Menard to head to the garage for repairs. Menard’s response: “Only problem is there’s a car on my hood.”

“It started so far in front of us coming off (Turn 2) we couldn’t see it,” Stewart said. “Somebody got sideways and started wrecking in front us and we got caught in it. We ended up on top of Paul Menard’s hood so, which is not where we wanted to end up by any means.”

All involved escaped injury.