Daytona: ARCA-Day Leaves Driver Hospitalized After Multiple Wrecks Wreak Havoc

“I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity.” These were the words of Craig Bracken when he joined Young’s Motorsports car for the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. After years of hard work and dedication, he finally had the chance to compete in ARCA after more than two decades. Unfortunately, his dream turned into a nightmare.

Daytona International Speedway has long been known for its high-speed thrills and chaotic crashes. The 2025 ARCA Menards Series season opener lived up to that reputation, delivering non-stop wrecks, intense racing, and a shocking number of retirements. The event quickly turned into a battle of survival, with one crash after another wiping out nearly half the field before the halfway mark. Notably, Bracken became one of the biggest victims of the chaos as he was hospitalized after the incident.

Bracken’s scary wreck stuns fans

The 2025 Ride the Dente 200 at Daytona started with a full field of 40 drivers. However, it didn’t take long for the first massive pileup to occur. In the fifth lap, Cody Dennison lost control of Turn 4 and slammed into the wall, triggering a chain reaction. More than 10 cars were collected, including Dale Quarterley, Corey Day, Katherine Legge, and Thad Moffitt. However, the worst was yet to come.

On the 12th lap, Amber Balcaen lost control coming out of the apron and spun across the track. Craig Bracken was one of the unlucky drivers who had nowhere to go. He slammed into the wreck and was sent hard into the inside wall. His car bounced back onto the track, colliding with Becca Monopoli in a brutal impact. The force sent him back into the inside wall again, making it his fourth hard hit in a matter of seconds.

The damage to Bracken’s No. 02 machine was severe. Safety teams rushed to his car and he remained motionless for a few moments. The medical crew then assisted him. Young’s Motorsports later confirmed his transport to a local hospital. “Following an on-track incident in this afternoon’s race, Craig Bracken, driver of the No. 02 SS, has been observed at the infield care center and, out of an abundance of caution, will be transported to a local facility for further evaluation,” reads team statement.

While the statement remained vague about his condition, the decision to take him to the hospital raised concerns about the impact. Notably, Bracken last made his ARCA start in 2002 at Berlin Raceway. However, a mechanical failure prematurely ended his race. The 52-year-old continued to work hard and earned his ARCA license a couple of months ago, but unfortunately, he found himself on the bitter end of the wreck at Daytona.

Apart from Bracken, the race saw multiple big names eliminated early. YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland, who had gained a massive following online for his racing adventures, saw his ARCA debut end in disappointment. After surviving the opening laps, he was collected in a crash on Lap 15. Interestingly, he was live streaming his race on NASCAR’s official channel, which once had almost 40,000 live watching.

A separate incident also involved veteran driver Katherine Legge. The Lap 5 crash took out several cars and caught her in the wreck. Legge, one of the few female drivers in the field, had high hopes for a strong performance but could not avoid the wreck. Notably, the sheer number of crashes led to widespread criticism from NASCAR drivers and fans. The race started with 40 cars, but by the halfway mark, less than 20 remained. Many questioned whether ARCA drivers were prepared to handle the challenges of superspeedway racing.

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin voiced his frustration on social media. “Wonder if the casuals at home watching Fox right now are thinking that this is NASCAR. Yikes,” Hamlin wrote on X. It’s worth noting that ARCA was the most affected event this weekend. On Wednesday, the ARCA event was canceled due to heavy rainfall. This left young guns with limited track time, which could be one reason for the crashes. However, despite the crash race did have a winner.

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Brenden Queen survives the carnage to win Daytona

Amidst the wreckage and high attrition, Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen took home the victory. The former CARS Tour champion made his full-time ARCA Menards Series debut and wasted no time making a statement. Queen held off a hard-charging William Sawalich in a dramatic final lap. Notably, Queen had to navigate through multiple wrecks and late race restarts to put himself in a position for the win.

With just eight laps to go, Helio Castroneves gave Queen a massive shove on the outside lane, propelling him to the front. From there, the Queen did everything right. He blocked both lanes, held his line, and crossed the finish line first. Notably, four-time Indy 500 champion Castroneves finished fifth on his ARCA debut. However, just after the checkered flag, Brazilian crashed with Kole Raz.

Despite the crash, this finish will boost Castroneves’ confidence ahead of the Daytona 500 where he will start from 41st position thanks to the new OEP rule. He will be driving No.91 for Trackhouse Racing. What do you think will Helio Castroneves continue his dream run in Daytona?