Brickyard 400: Fiery wreck takes out favorites Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr.

Kyle Busch has to wonder what he needs to do to win a race in 2017, as even Indy didn’t treat him right.

Kyle Busch had won the last two Brickyard 400s. Martin Truex Jr. has been the best driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season. You’d totally expect the two of them to be competing for the victory in the final stage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

What you wouldn’t expect is that that duo would end up colliding, taking the two best cars out of the race and leaving Truex’s 78 sporting huge flames before he thankfully hopped out of the car. Yet that’s exactly what happened with less than 50 laps to go in the 2017 Brickyard 400.

With passing opportunities at a premium as always, Busch and Truex were running side by side after a restart when Truex got loose and slid up into Busch, forcing his No. 18 Toyota into the outside wall. Both cars spun around before the 78 ended up in flames.

Truex took the blame for the wreck after getting released from the infield care center, noting that he wasn’t sure what would happen with both cars in that position and that he regretted not taking the outside. He was also grateful that he made it out of the scary looking fire.

For his part, Busch could only express his continued frustration that the longest winless streak of his career would continue.

At least Truex has his three race wins and tons of stage victories to comfort him. Busch still isn’t locked into the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, and while he’s fine on points right now, he only needs to ask Joey Logano how a feeling of comfort can turn to dismay.

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But Busch and Truex’s misfortune is a big opportunity for someone else, and with the two cars that were the class of the field out, another driver has a chance to seize the day and kiss the bricks at Indy.