Coca-Cola 600: Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski crash out early

Two of NASCAR’s top drivers didn’t even make it to the end of Stage 1 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The Earnhardt name might be synonymous with stock car racing excellence, but that same cachet doesn’t apply to Dale Earnhardt’s grandson Jeffrey Earnhardt. The perennial back marker had misfortune early in the 2017 Coca-Cola 600, and unfortunately, his bad luck was even worse for Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski.

With less than 25 laps complete at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Earnhardt had a problem and the announcers thought maybe his car was leaking oil on the track. Upon review, it turned out something actually broke free from his #33 Chevrolet that was run over by Elliott in the 24.

That in turn sprayed oil on the track, leaving Keselowski unable to slow up or swerve around him, and his No. 2 Ford plowed hard into Elliott’s Chevy.

Though both drivers were quickly released from the infield care center and were fine, their cars were not, and the longest NASCAR race on the schedule came to an early end for both of them.

There’s never much of a silver lining in tearing up a car so early in the 600, but if there is one, it’s that neither Keselowski nor Elliott are too badly hurt by one bad evening. Keselowski already has two victories on the season and is not only locked into the playoffs but would enter them with a points lead on nearly everyone if the postseason stretch began today.

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Elliott has no victories yet but was fourth in points prior to the Coca-Cola 600 and things would need to be continually disastrous for him all summer to miss out on the playoffs. Expect both teams to pack up and head to Dover next week and be right in the mix for a potential win in Delaware.