- NASCAR. Austin Dillon's controversial victory at Richmond sparks fury among NASCAR rivals
- NASCAR. A furious Tyler Reddick rips NASCAR after jeopardizing his win at Michigan International Speedway
During Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, things took an unexpected turn for Daniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing shortly after Stage 1 ended.
In a bizarre incident, Nascar driver Suarez's No. 99 Chevrolet caught fire as he was driving down pit lane, with the rear of the car completely engulfed in flames.
Suarez, showing incredible composure, stayed in the car far longer than most would have, eventually bringing it back to his pit box where the fire was extinguished.
Unfortunately, the damage was severe enough to end his night prematurely. Despite this setback, Suarez's win earlier in the season ensures his place in the Playoffs, providing some relief amidst the disappointment.
A challenging night
Initially, there was confusion about how the fire started. Suarez had just pitted a lap earlier, making the sudden flames puzzling. The cause was eventually traced to an unusual set of circumstances involving Denny Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota, which was in the adjacent pit stall.
As Hamlin was trying to leave his pit box, he had to quickly switch between the brake and throttle, causing flames to shoot out from his car. These flames ignited fuel on the ground in Suarez's stall, leading to the fire.
"The other crazy thing is I was able to feel the heat," Suarez said. "But because I don't run a rearview mirror, I run the rearview camera, I couldn't see it. The rearview camera, as you guys know, is connected in the rear bumper. I can see the smoke, but I couldn't see the fire. I can feel the heat, but I couldn't see how big it was."
Although this incident forced Suarez out of the race, it could have been much worse. Shortly after, the race experienced its first "Big One," a major wreck that took out several drivers, including Hamlin.