NASCAR’s new safety mechanism on the Next Gen car has been a no-show in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race. After Michael McDowell was launched into the air in a big crash, Josh Berry found himself upside down, flipping wildly in the air during the final few laps of the race.

Berry was battling for the win on the front row with 2 laps to go in the race. However, aggressive pushes on the inside lane saw Austin Cindric get sideways, and Berry found himself on the receiving end of the late-race haste. The No. 4 Ford Mustang spun sideways inside the track and violently flipped upside down.

For those who watched the Michigan race, this crash was reminiscent of Corey LaJoie’s freak accident. To prevent the cars from flipping in the air, NASCAR added air deflectors (shark fins) to the right rear of the race car. In theory, this was supposed to keep the cars grounded while turning sideways on the track.

But, given today’s carnage and wild racing, it looks like NASCAR has a lot of work to do. Fortunately, Josh Berry came out of the crash unscathed and was relieved from the in-field care center after a check-up.

Josh Berry defends NASCAR despite his freaky accident

Berry and the #4 team almost provided Stewart Haas Racing with a memorable win. One that could have allowed them to keep their heads high while bowing out of the sport. But it just wasn’t to be today, as the #4 Ford took the beating and ended up crashing during the final few laps of the race.

This wasn’t just a fluke; the rookie driver was contesting for the lead throughout the race and was a genuine contender. Owing to the severity of his crash, a lot of questions were asked regarding NASCAR’s effort to build a safe racecar for its drivers. Rather than fueling the fire further, Berry, sharing his take on the crash, opined, “Yeah I’m good. It probably wasn’t as bad as it looks… I just wanna thank everybody at Stewart Haas Racing, Ford, and NASCAR for building safe race cars.”

Disappointed for not being able to convert a strong performance into a victory, he added, “Man, I’m bummed because we had one hell of a night going. Did such a great job with the car, Rodney, and the 4 team. We were so strong; I’m really proud of the job I did tonight and really proud of how the whole team did. We were in contention; that could’ve been our day but didn’t work out.”

However, there were multiple crashes throughout the Coke Zero 400 race. Perhaps it was the big one that ensued during the stage 2 run that took out some of the big hitters and playoff hopefuls.

Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace were hit hard by the big ones

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A total of 14 cars were involved in a big one that erupted late in the stage 2 run of the Coke Zero 400 race. Race leader Michael McDowell spun across the field and was lifted in the air, hitting Joey Logano’s #22 car. Bubba Wallace, having dodged the bullet in a previous crash, was unable to escape the clutches of this crash.

Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick, the two drivers who were tussling for the regular-season championship, were also caught in this crash. Meanwhile, the first big one of the night did hand out some of the big upsets, and once again, big names and the playoffs bubble driver ended up on the receiving end of things.

It was Corey LaJoie and Noah Gragson who sparked the first big one of the race on Lap 61. 17 race cars were involved in this wreck, which included the likes of Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Austin Dillon. Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain also sustained heavy damages; a sketchy tape work held his race car in one piece.

With Harrison Burton securing his first win of the Cup Series, the battle for the playoffs is on the knife edge with just one race left in the regular season.