Two cars nearly flipped at Watkins Glen International on Saturday afternoon after a vicious Xfinity Series crash that collected 16 cars.
The incident occurred with eight laps remaining in the race. Austin Hill made contact with the left rear of Michael McDowell's No. 11, which turned the car into the wall in a narrow section of the track. The No. 11 then slid back across the track, slammed into the opposite wall, and flew into the air.
This vicious hit sparked a massive pileup in an area of the track where spotters do not have sight lines. Taylor Gray wrecked, as did William Sawalich, who hit a flying tire from McDowell's car.
Josh Bilicki, who tried to check up for the crash, took a massive hit from behind, which launched the rear of the No. 91 Chevrolet into the air. Neither McDowell nor Bilicki flipped. Both of their cars landed right side up as the wreck continued to unfold.
BIG crash with Michael McDowell getting the worst of it. pic.twitter.com/Qbd0Krqu8o
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"I don't want to say anything dumb until you go back and watch it all," McDowell told CW Sports after a trip to the infield care center. "I felt like I got two good restarts there and was able to take the lead clean. I didn't rough up the 21 (Hill) at all, I didn't feel like.
"It kind of felt like he kept trying to move me there in the Carousel and then there... was never going to get alongside you there. I was all the way out. He wasn't even alongside, just turned me."
The drivers involved in the incident included McDowell, Hill, Jesse Love, Gray, Sawalich, Bilicki, Jeb Burton, Kyle Sieg, Ryan Sieg, Anthony Alfredo, Dean Thompson, Brennan Poole, and Ryan Ellis.
This incident brought out the red flag as track crews worked to clear the debris while the safety crews worked to ensure that all of the drivers were uninjured. This red flag lasted 44 minutes and 25 seconds.
The drivers who could drive away headed to pit road or the DVP area for repairs. Those who could not continue all climbed from their cars under their own power for the mandatory trip to the infield care center.
Photo credit: CW Sports
"I didn't even know what I hit until I saw the replay, and apparently, I hit a tire flying through the air, so that's just our year's luck," Sawalich told CW Sports after exiting the infield care center.
"It is what it is. The guys brought a good SoundGear Toyota GR Supra that was as fast as Xfinity Mobile. We had some good battles throughout the day, and had some good speed no matter what happened to us in the race."
With the race heading to a red flag delay, CW Sports had time to speak to Hill over the radio about the incident. He provided many comments about the contact with McDowell, which led to the vicious crash, saying that the driver of the No. 11 had struggled.
However, Hill also commented about how he could have approached the situation differently.
"As soon as I saw he (McDowell) was staying tight to the grass, I probably should have lifted," Hill said. "That was definitely just on me. Just driver error."