Chandler Smith OK after hard crash ends Daytona 500 bid

Chandler Smith said he was OK Thursday night after a lap 14 crash in the first Duel at Daytona eliminated Smith’s opportunity to qualify for the 2025 Daytona 500.

While in third-place entering Turn 3 at Daytona International Speedway, Smith’s No. 66 Ford turned down into fourth-place Justin Haley, overcorrected into the outside retaining wall and triggering a four-car crash.

“It was the hardest lick I’ve had in my life for sure,” Smith said. 

Smith said his digital mirror in his racecar was not working and could not see out of his left-side mirror. Smith said his spotter cleared him on his inside and started to follow leader Josh Berry and second-place Chase Elliott as they trekked to the inside lane in the turn just before the crash.

“There’s a lot of really good torn up race cars tonight for something that was avoidable,” Smith said, calling it a “bad judgement call.”

The 23-year-old driver said officials inside the Daytona International Speedway Care Center took extra precautions in examining him after the wreck.

“They were a little concerned and wanted to take some x-rays, so we did that and everything looked good there. I’m grateful that we have that good of an infield care center.”

Smith, who primarily races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for 2025, will race Friday night in his debut with Front Row Motorsports.

Garage 66, the team owned by former NASCAR racer Carl Long, has now missed making the Daytona 500 in its last three attempts (2021, two entries in 2022, and 2025), last making the race in 2020 with Timmy Hill.