The latest auto news, reviews, prices, product and vehicle releases. Feb
16th
Stay connected Subscribe to our RSS feed
This column started out to be an argument for changing inconsistent rules for Daytona 500 qualifying. That is until the pace car for the Sprint Unlimited burst into flames without any obvious external impact.
The 18-car field for exhibition race, which is basically for Sprint Cup pole winners, was virtually cut in half on lap 36 in after a multi-car accident. And in the weirdest moment of that event Ricky Stenhouse Jr. plowed his car into the side of a stopped Danica Patrick, his girlfriend.
But I digress.
Back to the pace car fire.
The Daytona International Speedway has seen some strange sights in recent years. Like the time a pothole that required repairs caused a lengthy red flag stoppage. And who could forget the 2012 race when Juan Pablo Montoya's car rammed into the back of the jet dryer causing a huge fire and lengthy delay to put out that fire and clean the track. I recall the only thing that worked to clean off the unignited jet fuel was laundry detergent.
But those incidents pale in comparison to what appeared as the Chevrolet pace car spontaneously ignited.
Brad Keselowski, who ended up second, had a ringside view of the fireworks. He said that he'd seen fires (the jet fire) and wires (a cable supporting a mobile television camera) failing at Charlotte causing a race stoppage).
“I don't even know what to expect for the 500. Seems like we always find the weirdest thing for the 500,” he said
“I couldn't exactly tell what happened. I just saw the whole back of the car was on fire. I thought it was a racecar. Someone said it was the pace car. I just couldn't help but start laughing.”
Third place, Kyle Busch, added, “I didn't get to see it. I saw the aftermath where two guys were getting out of it. Seemed like they were running for their life, scared of a little fire. Maybe they need fire suits now.”
Race winner, Denny Hamlin quipped, “they should have had a (Toyota) Camry,” like the one he drives.
One crew chief, Slugger Labbe, tweeted that an auxiliary battery pack in the trunk which supported external lights exploded, but by close to midnight Saturday night NASCAR had not made an official statement of the cause.
It was truly one of the oddest moments your humble servant has observed in decades of race coverage.
In the not odd, but not-so odd, department is an inconsistent NASCAR rule, solely in effect for the Daytona 500. Drivers Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, will have to start at the back of the pack one week from Sunday because of “unapproved engine changes.”
The rationale is to prevent teams spending money on qualifying engines. But the problem is that except for the two fastest cars, qualifying will be determined after Thursday's qualifying “Duels”.
Thus an engine change might not alter the race lineup. And teams are permitted to change engines after those races. It seems unfair to punish a driver who drives from the back of the duels for changing an engine when such a change afterwards is permitted.
The 18-car field for exhibition race, which is basically for Sprint Cup pole winners, was virtually cut in half on lap 36 in after a multi-car accident. And in the weirdest moment of that event Ricky Stenhouse Jr. plowed his car into the side of a stopped Danica Patrick, his girlfriend.
But I digress.
Back to the pace car fire.
The Daytona International Speedway has seen some strange sights in recent years. Like the time a pothole that required repairs caused a lengthy red flag stoppage. And who could forget the 2012 race when Juan Pablo Montoya's car rammed into the back of the jet dryer causing a huge fire and lengthy delay to put out that fire and clean the track. I recall the only thing that worked to clean off the unignited jet fuel was laundry detergent.
But those incidents pale in comparison to what appeared as the Chevrolet pace car spontaneously ignited.
Brad Keselowski, who ended up second, had a ringside view of the fireworks. He said that he'd seen fires (the jet fire) and wires (a cable supporting a mobile television camera) failing at Charlotte causing a race stoppage).
“I don't even know what to expect for the 500. Seems like we always find the weirdest thing for the 500,” he said
“I couldn't exactly tell what happened. I just saw the whole back of the car was on fire. I thought it was a racecar. Someone said it was the pace car. I just couldn't help but start laughing.”
Third place, Kyle Busch, added, “I didn't get to see it. I saw the aftermath where two guys were getting out of it. Seemed like they were running for their life, scared of a little fire. Maybe they need fire suits now.”
Race winner, Denny Hamlin quipped, “they should have had a (Toyota) Camry,” like the one he drives.
One crew chief, Slugger Labbe, tweeted that an auxiliary battery pack in the trunk which supported external lights exploded, but by close to midnight Saturday night NASCAR had not made an official statement of the cause.
It was truly one of the oddest moments your humble servant has observed in decades of race coverage.
In the not odd, but not-so odd, department is an inconsistent NASCAR rule, solely in effect for the Daytona 500. Drivers Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, will have to start at the back of the pack one week from Sunday because of “unapproved engine changes.”
The rationale is to prevent teams spending money on qualifying engines. But the problem is that except for the two fastest cars, qualifying will be determined after Thursday's qualifying “Duels”.
Thus an engine change might not alter the race lineup. And teams are permitted to change engines after those races. It seems unfair to punish a driver who drives from the back of the duels for changing an engine when such a change afterwards is permitted.