It was the first time NASCAR headed to Watkins Glen for a playoff race. The experiment of adding a second road course to the playoffs has paid off handsomely. The race at “The Glen” is a prime example, as Chris Buescher and Shane van Gisbergen engaged in an intense battle for the checkered flag.

The thrilling battle was between two road course masters. SVG has had all his NASCAR wins (4) on road courses and Buescher has shown incredible consistency in road courses. Out of his last nine road course races, eight times he’s finished in the top 10. This, however, wasn’t the only chilling moment of the race. “The Glen” had a horrific crash involving William Byron and Brad Keselowski. Bryon recently opened up about what led to it.

William Byron opens up about the horrific crash

Here’s what happened on the track: Keselowski had contact with Joey Logano with just seven laps to go in the race. Byron attempted to pass Keselowski and Logano from the outside but got hit too as the RFK driver spun into him. This had Byron’s car flown into the catch fence and ending atop Keselowski’s Ford. Despite the horrific scenes, both drivers were safe. Take a look at the incident:

William Byron‘s car faced significant damage, requiring repairs, pushing his car to the back of the grid as he eventually finished 34th. Surprisingly, Keselowski was able to continue with little damage and finished 26th in the race. Recently Byron opened up about what unfolded on the track. He said, “I feel like how I got into the catch fence I would have been nervous to see what would have happened there. But I didn’t think any of that. I didn’t think I was gonna crash going to the outside of Joey. I think once I got there I was in the mix of the wreck. I was thinking man this is place that no one’s really tested so it could have been sketchy given how far down it is on the other side where the tunnel is.”

Byron did not initially realize that Keselowski was underneath him as he crashed into the fence. The #24’s right front tire was up against Keselowski’s driver’s window. This had Byron surprised that they could disconnect after getting stuck. “I didn’t really know what was going on there. I thought I was stuck in the fence, that was my initial thought. Once I realised Brad was under me I started to back off of him. I just put reverse and rolled off of him,” Byron added.

The finishing positions had severe alterations for Brad Keselowski in the playoffs. The #6 finds himself in the elimination zone in the 14th position, -12 points below the cutoff line. Keselowski blamed debris on the track that led to his contact with Logano. Post the race, he said, “The track was really, really dirty and… I assume he had marbles on the tires, he just didn’t make the turn, but I got hooked in the left rear. It’s really a shame.”

On the other hand, Logano took responsibility for the wreck, but he too accused the track authorities of the condition of the track when he wrecked.

Logano owns up to initiating the wreck

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While Keselowski and Byron ended up outside the top 25, Joey Logano, who started the wreck, ended up finishing 15th. While he took responsibility, he pointed out how dirty the track was when he contacted the #6. In the post-race interview, he said, “I just wanted to talk to him. I mean really, I’m not making any excuses, but I needed to check up more but the track’s a complete disaster. They need to clean it up and I got pushed maybe four-wide at one point, so tried to give room there and got up in the marbles.”

Logano was furious that the track authorities did not adequately clean the track, hence leading to the incident. “When I went to turn back to the left, it’s got (expletive) all over the tires and I got into him. It’s still on me, right, but at the same time, clean the damn track. I brought it up at least two to three times about cleaning the track before the restarts, but it just didn’t happen.” Logano won the playoff opener at Atlanta, locking him into the playoffs. However, things look tough for Keselowski.

However, the next race is Bristol, and the veteran has had a good run there. In the last Bristol race, he had a P3 finish and in the last six races, the RFK driver has managed four top-10 finishes. The 2012 Cup Series champion is anxious about being below the cutoff line. In a playoff promo video by NASCAR, he said, “Being below the playoff cutoff line is one of the most anxious moments of your life. I’ve been fortunate enough to win my way out of that hole. I’ve been on the other side of it. Those are tough days that test you to the fullest extent as a person and as a team. And when it goes your way, it is one of the most rewarding feelings you’ll ever have.”

Hopefully, the 40-year-old has a good run at Bristol and continues his playoff campaign. What do you think are his chances? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.