Patrick, Hamlin wreck during Daytona 500 practice
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Danica Patrick and Denny Hamlin wrecked during Daytona 500 practice Wednesday.
Patrick's No. 10 Chevrolet sustained enough damage that she was forced to switch to a backup car and will have to start at the back of the field in the second of two qualifying races Thursday. Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota was repairable.
Patrick and Hamlin started the pileup by making contact coming out of turn two. Casey Mears, Michael Annett and Jeb Burton also were involved.
Patrick called it "the nature of pack racing" while Hamlin said "you always have to give a little bit extra room in practice." But neither driver took full blame, with Hamlin calling it a "miscalculation one way or another on one of our parts."
Danica Patrick talks to Greg Zipadelli after she crashed her NASCAR Sprint Cup race car during Daytona 500 practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Stephen M. Dowell) MAGS OUT NO SALES
The Associated Press
Danica Patrick's crew looks over her wrecked NASCAR Sprint Cup race car after she crashed during Daytona 500 practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Stephen M. Dowell) MAGS OUT NO SALES
The Associated Press
After Danica Patrick was involved in a crash, crew members push her replacement car to the garage as other crew members work on the damaged car, back left, during a practice session for the Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)
The Associated Press
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