The YellaWood 500 really defined the meaning of the term ‘Big One.’ The term often used for a big wreck in NASCAR collected 28 drivers from the field after contact from Brad Keselowski’s car rammed into the race leader Austin Cindric. After the race, everyone came to blame Brad Keselowski for the wrecks, but there was more to it than that.

Brad Keselowski got wrecked in the Big One, but unlike how most fans initially saw it, he did not cause the incident. Despite the commotion, Keselowski recovered from the incident and finished second behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Many fans were unhappy that Keselowski made a comeback after ruining the race for many drivers. After the race, NASCAR officials ran an SMT Data test on the cars involved and it turns out that the wreck started when Keselowski was just another victim.

Brad Keselowski clears his name from the ‘Big One’ accusations

From the race footage, it seems like Keselowski drove into the race leader to wreck him out of the win. Highlights from Brad Keselowski’s car make it appear like there was a slight tap on Cindric that spun him out. Once he made contact with Austin Cindric, it resulted in one of the biggest pile-ups NASCAR has seen. Of the 28 cars involved, only half managed to drive their back into the pits.

The caution only caused more confusion as NASCAR tried to figure out the Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP) rule while the governing body allegedly gave them mixed answers. According to Chase Briscoe, NASCAR officials told his crew chief that he should remain in the car despite the on-track safety trying to evacuate the drivers to tow their cars out of the race so he would avoid automatic disqualification under DVP. He wasn’t the only one confused by NASCAR proceedings, as drivers such as Joey Logano, Josh Berry, and Christopher Bell publicly criticized how the governing body handled the red flag situation. Amidst all of this, a post on X surfaced where the SMT Data from the race surfaced and from how things look, it was not Keselowski’s fault. Upon reviewing the situation, it turns out, that it was actually Joey Logano who pushed Keselowski that led him to lose control of his car.

The data, posted by Brad Keselowski in an image on X, shows how Joey Logano’s car made contact with Keselowski before the No. 6 Ford drove into the race leader’s No. 2. As per the data, there is a clear reduction in the rotations per minute (RPM), indicating that Keselowski lifted. In addition to this, there is also a spike on the brake chart, providing Brad Keselowski with evidence to justify his case. Along with the SMT Data, a video from Joey Logano‘s perspective also surfaced where the sound of him making contact with Keselowski is audible. In the end, it was all considered to be a racing incident, and no one got penalized for the Big One.

The post was a simple answer from Keselowski to the thousands of NASCAR fans blaming him for the incident. Many fans saw the clarification of the situation on X and had more than a few things to say about the incident. Brad Keselowski fans came out in full support of the driver in the comments. Some pointed fingers at NASCAR for not giving fans enough data about such incidents. The confusion had caused quite a few fans to dislike Keselowski as most of the grid got wrecked, including some of the fan’s favorite drivers. With that said, it didn’t take long before the comments section flooded with fans’ opinions, so let’s take a look at what they had to say.

Fans rejoice as Brad Keselowski’s name gets cleared from causing the wreck

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It was obvious that fans did not like the fact that Brad Keselowski was blamed for the incident. One fan also pointed a finger at NASCAR for not giving enough information on the wrecks during races. The fan stated, “If NASCAR offered a subscription to fans to see SMT data, they could make a lot of money off of that. It’s not like they are hiding it anymore.” NASCAR has been revealing SMT Data once the race is over, however by then many fans already have a perspective of what went down on the track. Clearly, some were thinking beyond just the wreck and into the business side of things, suggesting that giving fans access to the behind-the-scenes data could be a goldmine. For the up-and-coming drivers, it can also offer an insight into how drivers at the top level use their cars.

Then, there were those who were just there for the drama. Someone chimed in with a simple yet telling “pulled out the receipts,” summing up how the data drop cleared Keselowski’s name. It was like a mic drop moment for Brad’s supporters, proving that sometimes the truth is all in the details.

Others took a more sympathetic approach, as they explained, “Funny how people continue to blame you when you show the data. Literally had nowhere to go with Joey being on you and Harrison being on him. Not blaming either of them; it’s how superspeedway racing goes, and I love it! I don’t believe it’s your fault at all. Great run today!” The fan did not like the fact that Keselowski was still being blamed for causing the wreck. They did say that they loved the chaos and ultimately believed that Keselowski was in the clear.

Another Keselowski fan stood up for him as he said, “You drove your race. You have no control over what any other driver does with their car. Logano drove into you, which launched you into Cindric. You maintained control; he did not. Proof that skillset matters.” The fan believes it took skill for Keselowski to recover from the position that Logano put him in and commends the No. 6 driver’s skill. It was not just about keeping it on the track either. Later in the race, Brad Keselowski pushed Ricky Stanhouse Jr to the limit in the final lap, trying to sneak through on the inside.

“Cook him, Brad!!” said a fan who used simple words to cheer on their favorite driver. Because Joey Logano caused the wreck, the fan wanted Keselowski to get back at him and let Joey Logano pay the piper for letting him take the blame. NASCAR fans are as passionate as ever and this just shows how few words it takes to show drivers immense support.

With that said, do you think that Keselowski deserved to come in second after being one of the catalysts of the Big One? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.