BURNT SNIDER BEFORE HILL CLIMBS TO TOP

Daytona’s potential for ‘the big one’ was laid bare on Saturday night when the second-tier Xfinity race was concluded by Myatt Snider’s car flipping into the catchfencing on the back stretch.

The accident was so violent that it tore the engine from his chassis, its fuel-filler socket was left jammed in the fencing 20 feet high, and a suspension arm was discovered lodged in the grille of basketball legend Michael Jordan’s motorhome that was parked nearby.

Snider was in the mix for victory on the final lap, but he couldn’t hold onto a massive bump-draft from behind, as Anthony Alfredo’s big push turned him hard right and into the path of Jade Buford, who calmly radioed: “I believe a car just flipped over me.” Snider hobbled away from the insane fiery wreck with a sore left foot.

Ahead of them, Riley Herbst had just pushed Austin Hill (above) ahead of AJ Allmendinger, which proved to be the winning move as the yellow flag ended the race. Hill, a Truck Series winner here in 2019, scored his maiden Xfinity victory in his rookie season for RCR, ahead of Allmendinger, Noah Gragson and Herbst.

Daniel Hemric won both stages, but a pitlane speeding penalty sent him to the rear of the field, and he then got caught in a 10-car wreck on the exit of Turn 4.

In Friday’s Truck Series race, Zane Smith thought he had the thing won, but a 19-vehicle shunt caused a yellow just before he took the white flag. Smith (below) sealed the deal again in overtime – he had taken the white flag before another wreck ended the race.