During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, William Byron and Ty Dillon were involved in a significant collision with just 31 laps remaining, ending both their races abruptly. The aftermath has sparked discussion around the William Byron Las Vegas crash, with Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice strongly denying responsibility for the incident that occurred during the crucial postseason event.
High Stakes Playoff Race Turns Chaotic in Las Vegas
The opening event of the Round of 8 for the NASCAR Playoffs unfolded at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, intensifying competition among top teams. As the field strategized for the closing laps, Ty Dillon was preparing for a pit stop, positioning his car slightly above the lowest lane to approach pit lane efficiently. William Byron, who was charging for a top finish in the playoffs, was directly behind Dillon, accelerating through the inside lane.
The pivotal moment came when Byron made contact with the rear of Dillon’s car, causing severe damage to both vehicles and abruptly ending their races. The collision was especially significant for Byron, a playoff contender, and both his No. 24 car and Dillon’s entry, which are part of Team Chevy, were eliminated from contention that day.
Chris Rice Addresses the Incident and Defends His Team
Chris Rice, CEO of Kaulig Racing, was direct in his comments when speaking about his No. 10 team and the sequence of events that led to the crash. He acknowledged recent struggles:
“Here’s the situation, the No. 10 car hasn’t been great over the last few months, I’m not even going to hold back on that one,”
Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Rice noted that performance issues left the team a second slower than leading cars, and variations in pit strategy set them apart from the main battle for the win:
“We were like 1 second off, all day. So, whether we need to be on the bottom or the top or the middle. I mean, we’re slow and we’re on different pit strategies than everybody else.”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
He reiterated that their race was separate from the main playoff fight, recognizing the implications for Byron’s championship hopes:
“It’s a whole other race outside of what the guys are doing, leading. As far as the playoffs go, man I hate that.”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
When discussing the team’s season and the need for improvement, Rice mentioned:
“I spoke with Ty yesterday for quite a long time about how we can get better. This weekend, we wasn’t even there. I think we were still running at Kansas, we wasn’t even in Las Vegas.”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
Refusing Blame for the Multi-Car Crash
Chris Rice pushed back against suggestions that his team or Ty Dillon should be blamed for the William Byron Las Vegas crash. He explained the financial and competitive consequences but stood firm:
“When I look at what happened, we can blame it on a lot of things. For us, it was a couple hundred thousand in damage for a car that was slow. It hurt the No. 24 in the playoffs.”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
Rice outlined his outlook on racing incidents and the unpredictable nature of competition:
“But man, it’s racing. The green flag is out. Pit road is open. You can do what you wanna do. You can blame it on what you wanna blame it on.”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
He advocated against targeting any one party for the crash, emphasizing that both drivers acted within their roles:
“I hate placing blame on somebody that was actually just running his own race. I don’t feel like they were in the wrong.”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
Rice also emphasized the limitations around driver visibility inside the car as a factor in the incident:
“You would have never seen his hand out the window. I don’t care, he could have had his hand all the way out the window. You’re not going to see it, they sit too far back in the racecar. You can’t see out of those cars anyway.”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
He suggested Byron was making a competitive move and highlighted the miscalculation on predicting Dillon’s position:
“Those things are hard to drive now. William was probably on his own agenda. I heard what his spotter said, that the No. 10 was probably going to go to the second or third lane.”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
Ultimately, Rice remained steadfast, asserting the inevitability of such moments in racing and reiterating that his team should not shoulder the responsibility:
“But, at the end of the day, it’s not on the No. 10 car. The green flag was out guys. It’s called racing. You gotta have slow cars to pass so you have a good race. If you don’t have slow cars and it’s just fast cars riding around, it’s going to be an awful race.”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
He drew an analogy to defend his stance on blame:
“I hate it for everybody. But, I’m not going to take blame. If you’re sitting at a stop light and you get hit in the back-end, are you going to take blame that the car behind you hit you?”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
Despite the emotional outcome, Rice expressed empathy for all involved and reinforced his view that both drivers were operating as expected:
“I don’t think anybody was in the wrong. I think William was doing what he needed to do and Ty was doing what he needed to do.”
– Chris Rice, CEO, Kaulig Racing
NASCAR Responds to the Incident and Communication Issues
As the racing community reviewed the crash, further light was shed on the factors at play by NASCAR officials. Brad Moran commented on the situation, indicating that communication breakdown contributed to the event:
“Obviously, there was some miscommunication. William was in there and he was coming through on the bottom at full speed.”
– Brad Moran
Moran explained that Dillon’s late move and unclear signaling complicated the scenario:
“The No. 10 moves up a little high and I guess they were planning to come to pit road. Some poor communication in the spotter’s stand. It caught both drivers, I’m sure, off guard.”
– Brad Moran
He acknowledged the difficult position Byron faced and suggested there was little recourse for the No. 24 at those speeds and in those circumstances:
“At those speeds and that closing rate, there wasn’t a lot the No. 24 could do at that point. It was an unfortunate incident, William had a great day going, to end it that way, you never like to see that.”
– Brad Moran
Looking Ahead After Las Vegas Shakes Up Playoffs
The Las Vegas crash involving William Byron and Ty Dillon stands as a stark reminder of the high stakes and unpredictability in the NASCAR Playoffs. With both cars heavily damaged and Byron’s playoff bid taking a hit, teams, officials, and fans will closely watch how the remaining races unfold and whether communication around pit stops and track position will become a greater focus. As NASCAR leadership and organizations like Kaulig Racing analyze the incident and consider adjustments, it is evident that the ripple effects of this collision will be felt throughout the remainder of the postseason.
