Ten laps are complete in the Budweiser Shootout and several contenders are already out of competition after a multi-car melee triggered by contact between Unadilla's David Ragan and Paul Menard. Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, and Juan Pablo Montoya were also involved, with Ragan, Waltrip, and Menard picking up the heaviest damage.
For the second time in two days, the multi-car accident was triggered when a driver pushing another car caught that driver's left rear corner, turning him in front of a pack. This time, it was Ragan who's nose moved to the left half of Menard's bumper, pushing his Chevrolet around and sending both cars up the hill into the wall. Waltrip's Toyota piled into the mess from behind, while Hamlin and Kahne came together and slapped the wall behind them. Kenseth spun and was collected by Montoya.
The race had lived up to its pre-race billing as a thriller before the crash, as the field navigated the venerable 2.5-mile trioval in a large pack, with several lead changes. Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, and pole-winner Martin Truex Jr. all led in the race's opening laps. Earnhardt assumed the lead at the time of the crash, followed by Kevin Harvick - who drove from 22nd starting position - Truex, McMurray, and Logano. The top-10 is rounded out by Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and Kurt Busch. Both Busch brothers were involved in the Friday crash and started from the rear of the field in backup cars.